The NFL has announced that the annual Pro Bowl Games will return to Orlando, Fl., for the 2024 season. The event is scheduled to take place on Feb. 2 during the off-week before the Super Bowl takes place. It had been held in Orlando from 2017-2020, but made a brief move to Las Vegas for the past two seasons.
The multi-day event brings 88 of the top NFL players together to compete in different skills challenges and a flag football game. The format of the event has changed over the years, as it used to be an exhibition match between the AFC and NFC. More and more players were opting not to participate because of the risk of injury, and ratings were very low, so the NFL changed things up with the skill challenges.
Some were quite unique, like the kicking competition “Kick-Tac-Toe,” where the kickers play a game of tic-tac-toe with their kicks. They also had the punt return competition, where players field as many punts as possible to see how many balls they can hold. Steelers ST captain Miles Killebrew was a Pro Bowler last season and won the “High Stakes” punt receiving portion of the event. He was able to haul in six punts last year.
Some of the events at the Pro Bowl games are kind of goofy, but they beat the exhibition match, which received very little viewership or social media interest.
The Steelers sent multiple players to the Pro Bowl for the 23rd consecutive season last year. T.J. Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Killebrew were all selected. Watt opted out due to the knee injury he suffered in Week 18 of the regular season against the Baltimore Ravens.
In addition to those three players, there are a handful of candidates that could conceivably make the Pro Bowl in 2024. QB Russell Wilson, DT Keeanu Benton, CB Joey Porter Jr., WR George Pickens, and ILB Patrick Queen have a chance with a good and healthy season to be selected for the Pro Bowl.
