NFL adds a game show and punting contest to its Pro Bowl skills competitions
The NFL is adding a game show and a punting contest to its Pro Bowl skills competitions in February.
The league on Thursday announced the full list of challenges, including tug-of-war and dodgeball.
The games will take place at Central Florida and finish with a seven-on-seven flag football game between the AFC and NFC on Feb. 2.
New this year are Helmet Harmony, a game show that will test players’ knowledge of their teammates, and Punt Perfect that features one punter and one non-punter. The two players from each conference will punt from the 35-yard line, attempting to place as many balls as possible into a set of six buckets in the end zone.
The passing and receiving competitions have a new twist this year. Quarterbacks will try to hit targets at various distances around the field worth different point values in 40 seconds. Before the challenge, each quarterback will select a Pro Bowl Games teammate to answer five trivia questions about current Pro Bowl players. For every correct answer, the quarterback gets an additional 10 seconds.
In the catching challenge, one wide receiver, tight end and defensive back from each conference will compete in an obstacle course, including catches from a JUGS machine at three different distances, to test every aspect of catching a football.
The rest of the competitions are a relay race and a great football race where six players from each conference will face off in a relay consisting of five different challenges, culminating with a sled push.
This is the third year of the Pro Bowl Games after the NFL eliminated its full-contact all-star game and replaced it with weeklong skills competitions and a flag football game.
Peyton and Eli Manning are back as head coaches for the two conferences.
The skills challenges will be broadcast live on Thursday, Jan. 30, on ESPN from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. ET.
The flag football game will be played at Camping World Stadium and will be broadcast at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN and ABC.
Maaddi is senior NFL writer for The Associated Press. He’s covered the league for 24 years, including the first two decades as the Eagles beat writer.
