The NFL’s Pro Bowl: Can It Be Saved?

The NFL’s All-Star showcase, the Pro Bowl, has long been considered the worst of the four major professional sports. Players barely put in a competitive effort, largely due to the fear of injury. The exhibition takes place either after the season or during the week between the conference championships and Super Bowl, when the appetite for a game that doesn’t count is low.

The NFL’s Pro Bowl has struggled to gain interest in recent years.

The Pro Bowl has become such a bad game that it’s not even a real game anymore. In its current form, the event is a flag football contest around which skills competitions are built. But can it be saved?

Joe Burrow’s Idea to Improve the Pro Bowl

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has an idea to improve the Pro Bowl. Appearing on the “Pardon My Take” podcast, Burrow suggested that the NFL could make the Pro Bowl week in-season, similar to the NBA All-Star Weekend. This would create more interest in Pro Bowl festivities and give players a break from an actual game.

“Like Week 13, do the Pro Bowl break where you’re doing like the 7-on-7 and all the skills challenges, like the NBA does,” Burrow said. “I think that would get more ratings for the Pro Bowl and then it would also give everybody that bye week going into like the last six games.”

The Benefits of an 18-Game Schedule

Burrow’s idea is part of a larger proposal to expand the NFL season to 18 games, with two bye weeks. The first bye week would be a regular part of the schedule, spread out among the 32 teams. The second bye week would be the same for every team, and would coincide with the Pro Bowl break.

This would have several benefits, including the ability to push the Super Bowl to the Sunday before Presidents Day. With a holiday on that Monday, many fans would get the day after the big game off, something many fans and media have suggested for years.

An 18-game schedule with two bye weeks could be beneficial for the NFL.

Players might not be enthused about spending their week off with Pro Bowl festivities, but they would get a break from an actual game and get a chance to do something fun that lets them display their personalities.

Conclusion

The NFL’s Pro Bowl has struggled to gain interest in recent years, but Joe Burrow’s idea could be just what it needs to be revitalized. By making the Pro Bowl week in-season, the NFL could create more interest in the event and give players a break from an actual game. It’s an idea worth considering, and one that could benefit both the NFL and its players.

The NFL’s Pro Bowl could be revitalized with a new format.