I’ve asked myself the same question a lot over the last few seasons: Does the NFL Pro Bowl still matter?
I grew up seeing the Pro Bowl as one of the top honors in football. If you were a Pro Bowler, that meant something. The game looked and felt like real football, maybe not playoff intensity, but there were real hits and real blocks.
Somewhere over the years, though, that type of Pro Bowl vanished.
Now we’ve got “The Pro Bowl Games“, a mix of skills challenges, trick catches, and a flag football game. It may be fun for some, but it’s hard for me to watch. The game is a joke, but has it lost all value?
Does the Pro Bowl Still Matter in Today’s NFL?
On the field? Not really. Off the field? Absolutely.
We watched long ago as the Pro Bowl started to lose its luster, long before flag football. The quality of play disappeared, and several players would choose not to play, due to the risk of injury in a game that doesn’t matter.
Coaches don’t want their star players going full speed or have any part if a playoff game is on the line. The ones who did play, you would see players pull up on tackles, avoid contact at all costs, and turned it into a walk-through.
The part that still matters to players is that they get a bonus. Of course, it’s about money. Why wouldn’t it be?
Why the NFL Pro Bowl Still Matters
The NFL Pro Bowl’s importance isn’t because of the fans. The Pro Bowl matters to players for other reasons.
Several players around the league have Pro Bowl escalators written into their contracts. One selection can trigger bonuses or salary bumps. You might not care about the Pro Bowl, but agents do.
The voting process is a big deal, too. It’s a popularity contest, and what human alive doesn’t like to be admired by their peers and others. A first-time Pro Bowler gets recognition, while a veteran gets to add to their resume.
When us fans, analysts, and sports writers look back on the careers of these players, especially offensive linemen, Pro Bowl selections are a big deal for the ones who get the least amount of glory.
The game may have become soft, but the Pro Bowl count on your list of achievements still shows up.
My Verdict of the Modern NFL Pro Bowl
Does the Pro Bowl still matter? Here is where I land:
The game is broken, it is not competitive, it’s barely football, and nobody is circling this game on their calendar except the players who get a bonus.
Money, respect, and history are still tied to that one phrase, Pro Bowler.
It is not the all-star game it used to be, but as long as contracts, legacies, and debates keep using NFL Pro Bowls as a measuring stick, it is not going anywhere.
Even if the game turns into a football game again, it may be too late. This event has lost its luster since the players stopped trying in a game that means nothing but a tally mark on the resume.
Was this helpful?
Stopped watching YEEEEEEEEEARS ago. Total farce now except for the money for some players/agents. Even being a “Pro Bowl” player now has lost its luster. “All-Pro” still has some substance.