The revamped NFL Pro Bowl is about more than flag football games. The event’s new skills competitions involve football and non-football challenges, with points accumulated along the way to help crown the Pro Bowl Games champion.
THURSDAY
Raiders’ Intermountain Healthcare Performance Center, Henderson, 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on ESPN
Epic Pro Dodgeball
Four teams of five players will participate in a multiround dodgeball tournament. First, the AFC offense will play the AFC defense, then the NFC offense will face the NFC defense.
The winners of those matches will face each other in an AFC-NFC showdown, good for three points toward the winning conference’s Pro Bowl Games total.
AFC participants: Nick Chubb, Cleveland; Tyreek Hill, Miami; Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati; Josh Jacobs, Raiders; Mark Andrews, Baltimore; Dawson Knox, Buffalo; Myles Garrett, Cleveland; Maxx Crosby, Raiders; Sauce Gardner, N.Y. Jets; Minkah Fitzpatrick, Pittsburgh; Marlon Humphrey, Baltimore
NFC participants: Dalvin Cook, Minnesota; CeeDee Lamb, Dallas; Saquon Barkley, N.Y. Giants; George Kittle, San Francisco; Kyle Juszczyk, San Francisco; Demario Davis, New Orleans; Jaire Alexander, Green Bay; Trevon Diggs, Dallas; Micah Parsons, Dallas; Jalen Ramsey, L.A. Rams; Tariq Woolen, Seattle
Lightning Round
Each conference will select 16 players to participate in the three-part elimination Lightning Round event. The challenge will culminate with one player remaining, winning points for his conference.
The Lightning Round includes a water balloon toss competition; a punt catching challenge with balls being launched by a machine; and an aim challenge, with multiple targets needing to be hit before a bucket is dumped on the winning team’s coach’s head.
AFC participants: Quinnen Williams, N.Y. Jets; Mitch Morse, Buffalo; Joel Bitonio, Cleveland; Patrick Surtain II, Denver; Laremy Tunsil, Houston; Ben Jones, Tennessee; Jamal Agnew, N.Y. Jets; Bradley Chubb, Miami; Rodger Saffold, Buffalo; Matt Milano, Buffalo; Jeffrey Simmons, Tennessee; Wyatt Teller, Cleveland; Derrick Henry, Tennessee; Dion Dawkins, Buffalo; Patrick Ricard, Baltimore; Cameron Heyward, Pittsburgh; Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati; Terron Armstead, Miami; Xavien Howard, Miami
NFC participants: Frank Ragnow, Detroit; Budda Baker, Arizona; Chris Lindstrom, Atlanta; Brian Burns, Carolina; KaVontae Turpin, Dallas; Jeremy Reaves, Washington; Penei Sewell, Detroit; Cameron Jordan, New Orleans; Terry McLaurin, Washington; Fred Warner, San Francisco; Tristan Wirfs, Tampa Bay; Demarcus Lawrence, Dallas; Talanoa Hufanga, San Francisco; Quandre Diggs, Seatle; Dexter Lawrence, N.Y. Giants; Zack Martin, Dallas; Tyler Biadasz, Dallas; Danielle Hunter, Minnesota; Trent Williams, San Francisco; Elgton Jenkins, Green Bay
Longest Drive
Four players from each conference will take part in a golf ball driving challenge. Each player will get three swings. The player who drives the ball the farthest, while keeping the ball in bounds, will be victorious.
AFC participants: Justin Tucker, Baltimore; Jordan Poyer, Buffalo; C.J. Mosley, N.Y. Jets; Marlon Humphrey, Baltimore; Matthew Judon, New England
NFC participants: Jonathan Allen, Washington; Tress Way, Washington; Daron Payne, Washington; T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota; Za’Darius Smith, Minnesota
Precision Passing
Each conference’s three quarterbacks will take part in a one-minute accuracy challenge, with multiple robotic and drone targets worth one to five points, plus a long toss bucket worth 10 points. Each quarterback will accumulate points for hitting the various targets.
AFC partipants: Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville; Tyler Huntley, Baltimore; Derek Carr, Raiders
NFC participants: Kirk Cousins, Minnesota; Geno Smith, Seattle; Jared Goff, Detroit
Best Catch, part 1
The two-day Best Catch event will begin with a highlight reel of receptions at various Las Vegas venues. Two players from each conference will take part, judged on creativity, inventiveness and talent.
After the catches are aired on ESPN, fans will vote for their favorites online, with the players with the highest votes competing in the finals Sunday at Allegiant Stadium.
AFC participants: Patrick Surtain II, Denver; Stefon Diggs, Buffalo
NFC participants: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit; Justin Jefferson, Minnesota
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SUNDAY
Allegiant Stadium, noon to 3 p.m. on KTNV-13 and ESPN
Best Catch, part 2
The finals of the Best Catch tournament will culminate with the top vote-getters from Thursday competing against each other in front of a panel of celebrity judges.
The player with the highest score from the judges wins the event.
Gridiron Gauntlet
Six players from each conference will take part in a relay race that will test their agility, speed and strength. The side-by-side race will feature four segments, each 40 yards in length, including running through walls, climbing over walls and under tables, a tire run and a blocking sled event with an NFL legend on board. The first team to cross the finish line wins.
AFC participants: Joel Bitonio, Cleveland; Myles Garrett, Cleveland; Nick Chubb, Cleveland; Cameron Heyward, Pittsburgh; Dion Dawkins, Buffalo
NFC participants: Penei Sewell, Detroit; Brian Burns, Carolina; Saquon Barkley, N.Y. Giants; Tristan Wirfs, Tampa Bay; Cameron Jordan, New Orleans
Kick-tac-toe
Each team’s kicker, punter and long snapper will compete to connect a line of three squares or hit five squares total on an on-field tic-tac-toe board to win the challenge.
AFC participants: Justin Tucker, Baltimore; A.J. Cole, Raiders; Morgan Cox, Tennessee
NFC participants: Jason Myers, Seattle; Tress Way, Washington; Andrew DePaola, Minnesota
Move the Chains
Two teams of five players from each conference will compete side-by-side, pulling a wall fitted with heavy weights 10 yards using first down chains. The winner of the best-of-three event will earn the points.
AFC participants: Quinnen Williams, N.Y. Jets; Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati; Laremy Tunsil, Houston; Terron Armstead, Miami; Jeffrey Simmons, Tennessee; Maxx Crosby, Raiders; Rodger Saffold, Buffalo; Ben Jones, Tennessee; Mitch Morse, Buffalo; Wyatt Teller, Cleveland
NFC participants: Jonathan Allen, Washington; Frank Ragnow, Detroit; Chris Lindstrom, Atlanta; Trent Williams, San Francisco; Demarcus Lawrence, Dallas; Dexter Lawrence, N.Y. Giants; Daron Payne, Washington; Zack Martin, Dallas; Elgton Jenkins, Green Bay; Tyler Biadasz, Dallas
Flag football
After the skills events, the flag football games will take place. The winners of each of the first two games will earn six points, and those points will be added to the points accumulated by each team during the skills events.
All of those points will then make up the starting score for the third and final flag football game, which will ultimately determine the winning conference.
AFC team
QB: Derek Carr, Raiders; Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville; Tyler Huntley, Baltimore
RB: Nick Chubb, Cleveland; Josh Jacobs, Raiders; Derrick Henry, Tennessee
WR: Davante Adams, Raiders; Stefon Diggs, Buffalo; Tyreek Hill, Miami; Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati
TE: Mark Andrews, Baltimore; Dawson Knox, Buffalo
FB: Patrick Ricard, Baltimore
OLB: Matthew Judon, New England; Matt Milano, Buffalo; Bradley Chubb, Miami
ILB: C.J. Mosley, N.Y. Jets; Roquan Smith, Baltimore
CB: Patrick Surtain II, Denver; Sauce Gardner, N.Y. Jets; Xavien Howard, Miami; Marlon Humphrey, Baltimore
FS: Minkah Fitzpatrick, Pittsburgh
SS: Derwin James, L.A. Chargers; Jordan Poyer, Buffalo
NFC team
QB: Kirk Cousins, Minnesota; Geno Smith, Seattle; Jared Goff, Detroit
RB: Dalvin Cook, Minnesota; Saquon Barkley, N.Y. Giants; Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco
WR: Terry McLaurin, Washington; Justin Jefferson, Minnesota; CeeDee Lamb, Dallas; Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit
TE: T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota; George Kittle, San Francisco
FB: Kyle Juszczyk, San Francisco
OLB: Micah Parsons, Dallas; Danielle Hunter, Minnesota; Za’Darius Smith, Minnesota
ILB: Demario Davis, New Orleans; Fred Warner, San Francisco
CB: Jaire Alexander, Green Bay; Jalen Ramsey, L.A. Rams; Trevon Diggs, Dallas; Tariq Woolen, Seattle
FS: Quandre Diggs, Seattle
SS: Talanoa Hufanga, San Francisco; Budda Baker, Arizona
