The week of the Super Bowl next month in San Francisco will feature not one but two marquee flag football games.
It’s just another way to gain even more exposure for the game ahead of flag football’s Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
First, the NFL’s elite take the field on Feb. 3 as part of the Pro Bowl festivities. Then, the flag football specialists will stage an exhibition match two days later, with Team USA taking on rival Mexico.
In LA two years from now, the roster could very well be a mix of NFL players — or former players — and flag football experts. USA Football, the national governing body for the sport, will select and train the men’s and women’s teams ahead of the Olympics.
“The opportunity to have NFL players join our elite talent pathway leading up to the LA28 Olympics is exciting for athletes and fans alike,” USA Football CEO Scott Hallenbeck said Tuesday in a statement announcing the game, which will be streamed on the NFL’s YouTube channel. “We have one goal for the Olympics, and that’s to win the men’s and women’s gold medals. Support and interest from elite athletes across the sports world only strengthens our chances of success as we seek to build the best teams possible.”
The NFL moved its Pro Bowl festivities to Super Bowl week this season. It was the latest adjustment for the all-star event that became a flag football game three years ago. The sport was added to the Olympic program in October 2023.
For Team USA, the game may be a “friendly” against Mexico, but the players will be treating it like a Super Bowl. The gold-medal match between the two nations at the IFAF Americas Continental Championship in Panama last September was scrubbed because of severe weather.
So it’s a chance to unofficially settle the score.
“This matchup is overdue. Our guys want it, and I’m sure Team Mexico does, too,” quarterback Darrell “Housh” Doucette III said. “We plan to approach this exhibition with the same preparation and intensity as a regular game. This is a dream opportunity to showcase the sport we all love while at the center of football’s biggest stage.”
Players from Mexico felt the same way.
“This opportunity that both teams are going to have is incredible,” said Ramón Alonso Gaxiola, a defensive back and captain for Mexico. ”Playing a final is something we have always dreamed of.”
The game, presented by Toyota, will be played at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, which is hosting the Super Bowl experience fan fest.
“The Olympic announcement in 2023 was rocket fuel for a sport that was already surging in popularity,” Hallenbeck said, “and with the league’s leadership and support through opportunities like this exhibition, we’ll ignite even more passion, participation and fandom.”
Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams is in the middle of the best season of his young NFL career, but don’t expect him to spike the football over individual accolades.
Williams was named a Pro Bowl alternate on Tuesday, a recognition that reflects just how much his role, and impact, has grown in the Detroit Lions offense during the 2025 season. Since Detroit’s Week 8 bye, Williams has been one of the league’s most explosive receivers, consistently stretching the field and flipping games with big plays.
Statistically, the jump has been impossible to miss. Williams enters Week 17 with over 1,000 receiving yards, seven touchdowns, and an eye-popping 17.6 yards per catch, which is second-best in the entire NFL. He’s been especially dangerous down the stretch, topping 70 receiving yards in six of the Lions’ last eight games while becoming a trusted weapon in high-leverage moments.
Jameson Williams Remains Thankful
Still, when asked about the Pro Bowl alternate nod, Williams kept it very on-brand.
“I don’t really know. I guess it’s cool to get some recognition,” Williams said via Lions OnSI. “I feel like I played just as good, if not as good as everybody else. But it is what it is. It’s exciting. I’m thankful and grateful for it for sure.”
That response pretty much sums up where Williams is at right now. Confident, productive, but firmly focused on the bigger picture. While individual honors are nice, they’re clearly not what’s driving him, especially with Detroit fighting to keep its postseason hopes alive.
Bottom Line
Whether Williams ultimately makes the Pro Bowl through an injury replacement or not, his breakout has already changed the complexion of the Lions’ offense. Defensive coordinators have to account for him on every snap, and his chemistry with Jared Goff continues to grow by the week.
Pro Bowl alternate or not, Jameson Williams has arrived — and the rest of the league knows it.
NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL is moving its Pro Bowl festivities to Super Bowl week beginning this February, the latest adjustment for the all-star event that became a flag football game a few years ago.
Commissioner Roger Goodell announced the change Wednesday at the league’s annual fall owners meeting.
“We’ve spent a lot of time evolving our Pro Bowl, talking about how to make our Pro Bowl more attractive, both for our players participating but also our fans,” Goodell said. “We spent a great deal of time talking about the objectives, and the objectives really are to celebrate and honor our incredible players, and second is to use our game as a global platform.”
The plan is to hold the Pro Bowl Games on Tuesday night, Feb. 3, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, the venue that is hosting the Super Bowl experience fan fest. The largest ballroom holds 4,000 people, making it a more intimate event than in previous years, with a focus on television.
It remains a flag football game between the AFC and NFC, though executive VP of international events Peter O’Reilly did acknowledge the format could become more internationally focused in the leadup to the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
“Flag has become a global game,” Goodell said. “Our players have embraced playing that in the all-star format, and we think it’s really important to continue that initiative.”
NFL owners unanimously approved players participating in the ’28 Games, though work is still being done to finalize the agreement with the union.
There will be two new coaches, replacing Peyton and Eli Manning, though O’Reilly said the brothers would remain involved in the event in some capacity. The league is not committing to Tuesday night beyond 2026, according to O’Reilly, who said it’s a process of continuing to learn about what’s best for the Pro Bowl.
Super Bowl LVIII between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers is still over a week away, but there is some gridiron entertainment of sorts for football fans to enjoy in the meantime.
The NFL‘s 2024 Pro Bowl Games kick off in Orlando, Florida, on Thursday and will resume Sunday with a second day of events—including a flag football contest. This marks the second year of the league’s revamped All-Star format. Gone is the traditional tackle football game, and in its place are several random events, which this year range from dodgeball to tug-of-war.
Here’s everything to know heading into the Pro Bowl Games.
AFC head coach Peyton Manning meets with NFC head coach Eli Manning after the NFC defeated the AFC during an NFL Pro Bowl football game at Allegiant Stadium on February 5, 2023, in Las Vegas,… AFC head coach Peyton Manning meets with NFC head coach Eli Manning after the NFC defeated the AFC during an NFL Pro Bowl football game at Allegiant Stadium on February 5, 2023, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Manning brothers are back to coach the Pro Bowl Games again this year in Orlando, Florida.
Michael Owens/Getty Images/Getty Images
Pro Bowl Games Schedule, List of Events
The 2024 Pro Bowl Games will culminate in a 7-on-7 flag football matchup, but there are plenty of other skills events in Orlando this week. Here’s a full list of them, split up between two days, as described by the NFL.
Thursday, February 1
Precision Passing: “Three quarterbacks from each conference will accumulate points by hitting as many targets as possible in one minute. The conference with the highest cumulative score earns three points. There are 10 targets that are either static or attached to robotic dummies and drones, ranging from one to five points.”
Best Catch: “Pre-taped in landmarks around Orlando, best catch will feature one player from each conference, showing off their creativity, inventiveness and talent. Fans will vote online to determine their favorite catch and the player with the most votes will earn three points for his conference.”
Closest to the Pin: “This golf accuracy competition will feature six players from each conference who will drive the golf ball as close to the hole as possible. The winners will earn three points for their conference.”
High Stakes: “Starting off with a football in hand, each player will attempt to catch punts from a JUGS machine. Each player that succeeds in catching the football without dropping others will advance to the next round and attempt to catch an additional football. The player who catches the most footballs wins.”
Dodgeball: “A multi-round tournament of classic dodgeball featuring four teams of five players. In the first match, the AFC offense will face the NFC defense, and in the second game, the NFC offense squares off with the AFC defense. The winners will earn three points for their conference.”
Kick Tac Toe: “Each team’s kicker will compete in a giant Tic-Tac-Toe competition. The first kicker to complete a connecting line of three squares or hit five squares total will earn three points for his conference.”
Sunday, February 4
Madden Head-to-Head: “Two players will defend the NFC’s title against the AFC in Madden NFL 24 using the official 2024 Pro Bowl Games rosters. New this year, the winning team will earn their conference three points.”
Gridiron Gauntlet: “A full-field relay race between six players from each conference in a challenging obstacle course. They will break through walls and crawl under doors, among other obstacles, to get to the final sled push across the field to the finish. The winning conference will earn three points.”
Tug-of-War: “New this year, tug-of-war is a five-on-five demonstration of teamwork, strength and strategy. Positioned above a foam pit, players will pull on the rope, attempting to move the opposing team across the marker. The competition will be the best of three, and the winners earn three points.”
Move the Chains: “This offensive and defensive linemen strength and speed competition takes strategy and teamwork. Each team of five players must work together to move 3,000 pounds of weights off a massive wall and be the first team to pull the 2,000-pound wall across the finish line. The winners will earn three points for their conference.”
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Pro Bowl Games TV Channel, How to Watch
The Pro Bowl Skills Show is scheduled to air from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. ET on Thursday live from the Nicholson Fieldhouse at the University of Central Florida. The skills competition will air on ESPN. As opposed to Sunday’s portion of the games, for which tickets are still available, Thursday’s event is not open for the public to attend, the league said.
Festivities will resume on Sunday afternoon with the flag football game, plus the four additional events intertwined within the telecast.
This portion of the Pro Bowl Games is slated for 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET on Sunday at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. It will air on ESPN, ABC, Disney XD, ESPN+ and NFL+, while a Spanish broadcast for both days will be available on ESPN Deportes.
2024 NFL Pro Bowl Games Rosters
The Pro Bowl Games rosters originally revealed earlier this month have since been tweaked to account for a variety of factors. The 49ers led the way with nine Pro Bowlers (eight starters), and the Chiefs had five selections. All 14, though, had to be replaced in the Pro Bowl since San Fran and K.C. have to take care of Super Bowl business.
In all, 27 players named to the games—as voted on by players, coaches and fans—weren’t originally selected for the event. Injuries and personal reasons were listed as factors for the non-Super Bowl participants who cannot attend.
Finalized rosters, as listed on the NFL website, can be found here.
The NFL finalized 2024 Pro Bowl Games rosters, with 27 players named to the lineup that weren’t originally dubbed for the all-star event.
Fourteen replacements occurred due to the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers facing off in Super Bowl LVIII.https://t.co/ly5uRRyGSg
The Manning brothers are back to coach their former conferences again in the 2024 games.
Peyton Manning helmed the AFC last year in the first edition of the games, while Eli Manning was in control of the NFC. Eli earned a Gatorade bath after leading the NFC to a 35-33 win over the AFC and his older brother last year.
In this year’s rematch, both Mannings will have some high-profile assistant coaches helping them out. Wes Welker, the former All-Pro wide receiver and current Miami Dolphins coach at that position, will serve as offensive coordinator for the AFC, while fellow former Pro Bowl wideout Keenan McCardell will fill that role for the NFC. Hall of Famers Ray Lewis (AFC) and DeMarcus Ware (NFC) are the defensive coordinators for the game.
Do NFL Players Get Paid for the Pro Bowl?
The Pro Bowl Games may now feature a different format than the traditional football game, but there are several thousands of reasons for the players in Orlando to take the event at least somewhat seriously. The players for whichever conference accumulates the most points across the many skill competitions, plus flag football, will take home $88,000 each (up from $84,000 last year) according to the league’s collective bargaining agreement.
Players of the losing conference will earn $44,000 (up from $42,000).
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
