Helmetless NFL stars, Manning brothers in revamped Pro Bowl

With the faces of NFL stars usually tucked behind helmets during games, the newly revamped Pro Bowl Games will give fans a new, unfettered view of the players.

With the format of the annual all-star game moving away from tackle football and to a 7-on-7 flag football version, players will not be wearing helmets or pads during the trio of contests.

Also for the first time NFL coaches will not coach the Pro Bowl. The Manning brothers, Eli and Peyton, take those duties for 2023. With the brothers’ popular alternative broadcast of Monday Night Football, injecting their personalities into the game will add its entertainment value, said Matt Shapiro, NFL vice president of event strategy and integration.

“Certainly NFL coaches have enjoyed the Pro Bowl in the past, but we saw this as an opportunity to refresh that a bit,” Shapiro said. “The Manning brothers being those coaches is perfect. I think fans saw on the Manning Cast the other night some of that healthy sibling rivalry. That again is the exact embodiment of the fun, lighthearted but competitive spirit the Pro Bowl Games will be about.”

The competition will pit the AFC versus the NFC, with both teams first racking up points in the skills competition on Thursday, Feb. 2, leading to the culmination of the multi-day event — another round of skills challenges and three flag football games on Sunday, Feb. 5, at Allegiant Stadium.

The addition of flag football came after discussions with players, the NFL Players Association, team ownership and fans, after fan complaints about recent Pro Bowls being unofficial touch football games.

“The Pro Bowl has been in that tackle format for a number of years, and fans have really latched onto the Pro Bowl Skills competition. I think there has been a clamoring for more of that type of energy,” Shapiro said. “To see players with their helmets off and to see their personalities.”

With the NFL putting a lot of focus on youth flag football in recent years, adding that to the Pro Bowl made sense. With tackling at a minimum in recent years, with players not wanting to be injured in a exhibition match, adding the flag element will allow the NFL’s younger fan base to see the stars of today play in a game they can identify with.

“Flag is very much a part of the future of football,” Shapiro said.”To put it on this level of stage with the NFL’s best players playing flag in a way we’ve never seen them do it before will really help to accelerate that growth and that vision for flag football.”

Although the players don’t want to get hurt in the Pro Bowl, they generally enjoy the experience, allowing them to bond with players outside of their own team.

“To think we’re going to get into a game and just want to kill each other when the season is over, the last thing a guy wants to do is get a knee (injury) or something like that where you’re out for the whole upcoming season,” Raiders star wide receiver Davante Adams said at a news conference last week.

“It’s a fun experience at the end of the day. I don’t think anybody wants to go to the Pro Bowl and break the record for receiving or rushing. It’s more so about the fellowship and enjoying each other and meeting people.”

For 2023, the Thursday skills events will be moved from Las Vegas Ballpark in Downtown Summerlin to the Raiders’ Henderson headquarters.

The 2022 Pro Bowl skills challenge saw a frigid system move into the Las Vegas Valley, with the windy, cold weather impacting those in attendance and the players themselves. With the 2023 event being broadcast live for the first time, the NFL didn’t want any unforeseen issues arising.

Being able to hold the skills events inside the Raiders’ practice facility will allow for a more controlled environment for the popular event.

There will be a limited number of fans allowed to attend the skills events at the Raiders’ facility, but it won’t be as open as the 2022 event at the ballpark.

“The ballpark was a fantastic partner. It’s a beautiful facility and we would love to be back there at some point,” Shapiro said. “When you look at this year’s schedule, with a little bit of a different format with the lack of traditional practices leading to a tackle game, it made sense to look at our options.”

With the tackle aspect taken out of the equation, there will also not be an open practice associated with the Pro Bowl. Last year there were two days of practices at Las Vegas Ballpark, where fans had the chance to mingle with Pro Bowlers.

“From a fan perspective, we’re really encouraging fans to come down on Sunday, which will be the focus,” Shapiro said. “There’s tickets available as low as $35 to be here at Allegiant for this first-ever Pro Bowl Games event.”

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.