In case you missed the September announcement, the NFL is replacing the Pro Bowl Game with the Pro Bowl Games starting this season.
And, yes, that little “S” means big changes to the event we knew, loved, began ignoring, and was ultimately changed by the league.
Gone is the annual game between AFC and NFC standout players who aren’t playing in the Super Bowl (and/or haven’t backed out of playing for any number of “reasons”). And in its place are the Pro Bowl Games — a collection of skills competitions and a flag football game that will ideally serve as a showcase event for some of the NFL’s brightest stars.
And starting today you can begin voting Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields into the game:
If we can muster up enough votes to get Fields in, then we can dream of him dominating any number of events at the showcase showdown. Fields would likely thrive in dodgeball and the “thread-the-needle” accuracy test, which are among the events CBS Sports notes will be part of the shindig. But I’m of the belief that there is nothing Fields can’t do. So I’m still down to see some off-the-wall events included in the Pro Bowl Games. Give us a Griddy dance-off between the quarterbacks, doubles Pickleball with offensive linemen, hot dog-eating contests featuring kickers, and receivers playing ping pong … let’s get weird.
You’ll need to sign in to your NFL account (or register for one) in order to vote. But once you get that squared away, go on and do your duty as a Bears fan and get Fields into the Pro Bowl games. After all, voting is a civic duty. And no one gets out to vote like Chicagoans or Bears fans.