Report: NFL Considering Eliminating Pro Bowl Game; League Mulling Alternative Events

The current form of the NFL Pro Bowl may not exist for much longer after being the butt of many jokes.

The Pro Bowl may be eliminated during the annual owners meetings in Atlanta on Tuesday, according to Mark Maske of the Washington Post.

If the Pro Bowl is dropped, the league will look to keep a seven-on-seven competition with no tackling during the week between the conference title games and the Super Bowl.

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network said the league could use that Sunday as a way to showcase players who are voted to the Pro Bowl without holding an actual game.

The Pro Bowl is a success in the ratings, even though it is unwatchable to some fans.

The Pro Bowl has had a low number of viewers in the past.

60 Minutes had 7.48 million viewers on May 22 and was the most watched show on the network. No other show had more viewers.

The quality of play in the Pro Bowl is very good for the league. It's an exhibition game with nothing at stake coming at the end of a long season, especially for players whose teams were also in the playoffs, so no one is interested in tackling anyone.

JJ Watt @JJWatt

I’ve seen walk-thrus more intense than this 😂#ProBowl

Chad Johnson @ochocinco

They got try a little bit in the Pro Bowl c’mon nah‼️

The inherent risk of going full bore in a game with no stakes is also present. It is likely that players do not want to hurt themselves or another player, especially if it will affect them going into the next season.

It is possible to play the Pro Bowl at full intensity and only take part in the game to get a free trip to the city where it is being held.

People are going to watch the game. They might not watch as much as they used to, but they will still tune in to see how bad the action can get.