The NFL will replace its traditional Pro Bowl game (All-Star Game) with a week-long skills competition and a non-contact flag football contest, the US football league announced on Monday.

In a statement, the NFL said that instead of the full-contact game between the players of the National Conference and the American Conference, next year they will see the introduction of the "Pro Bowl Games".

Introducing the 2023 Pro Bowl Games presented by Verizon. ????

Coming to @Vegas this February. pic.twitter.com/RdJRsMBK5U

September 26, 2022

The multi-day event will pit the best players from both conferences against each other in a series of skill-based activities.

The week will culminate in a flag football game at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on February 5th.

Flag football is a non-contact variation of American football. Players must remove a flag attached to the belt of the player with the ball.

"We have received invaluable feedback from players, teams, and fans about the reinvention of the Pro Bowl, and as a result, we are excited to use The Pro Bowl Games as a platform to highlight flag football," said Peter O'Reilly, NFL Executive Vice President of Club, Business, and League Events.

First held in 1951, the Pro Bowl was conceived as the NFL's version of an All-Star Game, which is typically held at the end of the season.

However, interest in the game has waned in recent years as players sometimes do not want to participate to avoid injuries.

The game has also been overshadowed by its scheduling the week before the Super Bowl, which means players involved in the NFL championship game also skip the event.