The National Football League (NFL) Pro Bowl is the equivalent of the all-star weekend held in sports such as baseball and basketball. Next Sunday also serves as a preview of the Super Bowl, which will take place the following weekend.
However, the Pro Bowl has had its fair share of detractors, many of whom cite the fear of injury as causing the game to stop being competitive.
With NFL officials priding themselves on their business acumen above all else (it’s a reason it’s the richest league in the world), the NFL has tweaked its format for 2023 in an attempt to appeal to fans.
Pro Bowl format
With a history dating back to 1951, the Pro Bowl picks the top talent from each conference, the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC), and pits them against each other.
However, given the previous criticisms, the 2023 Pro Bowl will feature a new set of rules.
What’s new in the 2023 edition?
The biggest change to this year’s Pro Bowl is that the main event between the AFC and NFC will feature a contactless version of the sport, with three games of Flag Football, to alleviate any of the aforementioned injury concerns for players.
The weekend will also feature a number of skills challenges in order to boost fan engagement.
Who are this year’s coaches?
The 2023 Pro Bowl will feature the legendary Manning brothers at the helm of both teams: Peyton Manning will head the AFC, while Eli Manning will lead the NFC.
Peyton and @EliManning are ready to kick off the #ProBowlGames!
📺: 2023 #ProBowlGames on ESPN pic.twitter.com/SgdSj4VuEE
— NFL (@NFL) February 3, 2023
How much will the winners charge?
While the figure is far from meastic, it could be considered low by the high standards set by the NFL, the league that owns 30 of the 50 richest sports franchises in 2022.
Pro Bowl winners will take home $80,000, while losers will walk home with $40,000, which isn’t bad considering it’s only for a few hours of work.
