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NFL officially eliminates Pro Bowl game; players to still be honored as Pro Bowlers (Gray News) - The NFL’s Pro Bowl game has been canceled. The league announced Wednesday the elimination of the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl game, which featured the league’s top players in an exhibition matchup that dated back decades. Instead, the NFL said it would place greater emphasis on the players being selected, limiting the Pro Bowl honors to 88 players, without any replacement selections. “The Pro Bowl has always been about recognizing the players who distinguish themselves as the very best in the NFL,” NFL executive Peter O’Reilly said. “We want that distinction to carry even greater meaning for the players, their families, their clubs and our fans.” By limiting the Pro Bowl honors to those originally selected, the league said it would return focus to recognizing the league’s most outstanding performers and reinforcing the significance of the achievement. The Pro Bowl has waned in popularity in recent years, with the league ending its Pro Game tackle edition in 2022. That version of the long-running Pro Game was replaced with the Pro Bowl Games in 2023, featuring skills competitions and AFC-NFC flag football games. According to the league, while no AFC-NFC game will now be held, the players selected as Pro Bowlers will still be invited to attend an in-person celebration for a traditional Pro Bowl weekend. “This direction came directly from our continued conversations with players and what they value most about the Pro Bowl,” NFL executive Troy Vincent said. “Being selected by your peers, coaches and fans as one of the very best at your position carries tremendous meaning.” The Pro Bowl roster for this year is expected to be revealed in late December, with the league’s first regular-season game set to kick off on Sept. 9, featuring last year’s Super Bowl matchup of the New England Patriots vs. the Seattle Seahawks. Copyright 2026 Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved.