NFL announces major change for Pro Bowl Games

Ziyad Jamal

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NFL announces major change for Pro Bowl Games image

A major alteration has been made by the NFL over the scheduling of the Pro Bowl Games, with changes set to kick in for this season's event.

The Pro Bowl event has already gone through significant changes in recent years as the NFL has strived to make it a more entertaining affair.

Criticism over the lack of effort and intensity in past Pro Bowl matchups led to the NFL changing the contest to a game of flag football between players from the NFC and AFC three years ago.

The Pro Bowl has now become an event lasting multiple days and also includes skills competitions and fun games for players to participate in.

The latest change to the Pro Bowl

Typically, the Pro Bowl has been held on the Sunday a week prior to the Super Bowl, but the NFL has announced that the event will now be held on the week of the big game.

The 2026 Pro Bowl flag football contest will take place on February 3, 2026 at 8 p.m. ET (1 a.m. GMT), five days before Super Bowl LX at the home of the 49ers, Levi Stadium.

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Another alteration made is that the Pro Bowl will take place in the same city hosting the Super Bowl that year, with this season's edition set to be held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.

Part of the reasoning behind the latest changes is to do with making more players feel a part of the most anticipated week of the NFL season and for fans attending the Super Bowl to experience the Pro Bowl.

There is also a willingness to showcase flag football on a bigger stage ahead of the sport's debut at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

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"We're thrilled to make the 2026 Pro Bowl Games presented by Verizon part of Super Bowl week, our biggest platform of the year, elevating flag football and our best players in a way that's never been done before," said NFL executive, Peter O'Reilly.

"The Pro Bowl Games will not only be an exciting showcase of our best talent, but also a taste of the elite athleticism and dynamic action we can expect to see on the Olympic stage," the vice president of events, international and club business added.

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Editorial Team