Skills Competitions for 2023 NFL Pro Bowl Games Announced

The NFL announced the lineup for the new skills competitions at the 2023 NFL Pro Bowl in Las Vegas.
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Allegiant Stadium might be done hosting the Las Vegas Raiders this season, but it’s not yet ready to end the NFL season.

On Wednesday, the NFL announced the skills competitions for the two-day 2023 NFL Pro Bowl Games at the home of the Silver and Black’s Intermountain Performance Healthcare Center and Allegiant Stadium.

Running back Josh Jacobs, wide receiver Davante Adams, and defensive end Maxx Crosby will all represent the Raiders and the AFC in the all-new format.

The redesigned Pro Bowl Games will have a completely different look and the dimension of what the NFL is trying to do to restore and heighten its popularity than its traditional AFC versus NFC All-Star predecessor.

Below is the full list, summarized description, and schedule of the new skills competitions between the two conferences leading up to the NFL's first-ever flag football games.

Thursday, Feb. 2

Epic Pro Bowl Dodgeball: Four teams of five will square in a multi-round dodgeball tournament. In the first match, the AFC offense will face the AFC defense to determine the AFC winner. In the second game, the NFC offense squares off with the NFC defense to determine the NFC winner. In the final, both winners will face off.

Lightning Round: 16 players from each conference compete in a three-part elimination challenge that includes:

  • Splash Catch: In the first round, teammate pairings from each conference toss water balloons back and forth from increasing distances. Each tandem that completes all of their tosses advances to the second phase.
  • High Stakes: In the second round, the advancing players will attempt to catch punts from a JUGS machine to earn a spot to represent their conference in the final round of the competition.
  • Thrill of the Spill: In the final round, the remaining players from each conference will aim at targets attached to a bucket hanging above the head of an opposing conference's coach. The first team to dump the bucket on the opposing coach wins.

Longest Drive: Four players from each conference will compete in a challenge to drive a golf ball the furthest distance off a tee. Each player will get three swings, and the player who drives the furthest within the boundaries on each side of the fairway wins.

Precision Passing: Each conference's three quarterbacks competing will battle it out in a one-minute accuracy competition, accumulating points by hitting as many targets as possible. The quarterback with the highest individual score among all participants is the winner.

Best Catch (First Round): Think of this as the Dunk Contest of the NFL. Two players from each conference will compete in the best catch competition, showing off their creativity, inventiveness, and talent.

In the first round on Thursday, the players will showcase their best receptions in highlight reels shot at iconic venues around Las Vegas. Fans will vote online to determine their favorite catch by a player in each conference, and the players with the highest votes will compete in the finals on Sunday.

Sunday, Feb. 5

Best Catch (Finale): After a few days of fans voting, the top vote-getters from Thursday's Best Catch challenge will compete head-to-head in front of a panel of celebrity judges. The pass-catcher who accumulates the highest score from the judges will be determined the winner.

Gridiron Gauntlet: Thi8s will be a side-by-side relay race showcasing strength, speed, and agility, with six players from each conference competing. The four-part Gauntlet, each segment 40 yards in length, includes a series of breakaway walls, a section of climbing over walls and under tables, a tire run, and a blocking sled carrying a Legend coach across the finish line.

Kick Tac Toe: Each conference will have a kicker, punter, and long snapper compete in a giant Tic-Tac-Toe competition to showcase their respective skills. The first team to complete a connecting line of three squares or hit five squares total will be declared the winner.

Move The Chains: Four teams (two teams from each conference) will compete side-by-side in a weighted wall pull. Each team of five players is responsible for pulling a wall – loaded with heavy weights – 10 yards as quickly as possible using first-down chains in a best-of-three challenge.

The winning conference for each challenge will earn three points, with the chance to accumulate 24 points from the eight events leading up to the AFC vs. NFL Flag Football games.

The winning conference from each of the first two flag football games on Sunday will earn six points for their team, for a total of 12 available points.

All the points added together from the competitions and flag football games which will determine the winner of the 2023 Pro Bowl Games.

Fans can buy tickets at probowl.com/tickets to see all the action in person on Sunday, Feb. 5, at Allegiant Stadium and catch the NFL's biggest and brightest stars representing their team, city, and conference.

The NFL Scouting Combine is Feb. 28-March 6, 2023, held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. On March 7, 2023, before 4 p.m. EST, is the club's deadline to designate Franchise or Transition Players.

March 13-15 is the free agent negotiation period. During the time starting at 12 p.m. EST on March 13 and ending at 3:59:59 p.m. EST on March 15, clubs are permitted to contact and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who will become Unrestricted Free Agents upon the expiration of their 2022 Player Contracts at 4 p.m. EST on March 15.

The 2023 NFL Year and Free Agency period begins at 4 p.m. EST on March 15. The Raiders are expected to be significant players in the free-agent market this season.

Watch the NFL Playoffs live when you get your Raiders tickets from SI Tickets HERE.

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Jairo Alvarado
JAIRO ALVARADO