The Pro Bowl Games take place this weekend to keep NFL fans ticking over until the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers lock horns in Las Vegas for Super Bowl LVIII on February 11.
The best players of the AFC and the NFC will be heading to Orlando, but unlike in years gone by, there’s more to the event than a mere exhibition game.
Previously, the standouts of the AFC would take on the leading lights in the NFC in a match which was usually light on tackling and heavy on trick plays and razzle-dazzle.
Times have changed though and rather than serving up a half-paced game that lacked a competitive edge, the Pro Bowl now consists of a suite of different challenges and contests, culminating in a flag football match.
Here is a look at what to expect this weekend.
Pro Bowl 2024 schedule of events
The action is split between two days, with six skills competitions taking place on Thursday, February 1, then four more competitions on the Sunday ahead of the final flag football game,
Thursday, February 1
Best catch: This is a pre-recorded contest, where one player from the AFC goes up against one from the NFC showing off catches from various locations around Orlando with a fan vote deciding the winner.
Precision passing: As it sounds, this sees quarterbacks from both conferences throwing at targets to see who the most accurate passer is.
Closest to the pin: Golf skills are the next to be tested, with six players from each conference up against each other in a driving contest.
High stakes: This sees players attempting to catch balls delivered by an automated JUGS machine, with players being eliminated when they drop their first ball.
Dodgeball: This is as you’d expect, with each contest being a five-a-side offense vs defense clash from both conferences.
Kick-tac-toe: Time for the kickers to take centre stage, as they will kick footballs at targets for a giant tic-tac-toe competition.
Sunday, February 4
Madden NFL head-to-head: Two players will boot up a console for a game of ‘Madden NFL 2024’ featuring the official Pro Bowl rosters.
Gridiron gauntlet: This competition sees six players from each conference take part in an obstacle course and a full-pitch relay race.
Tug-of-war: Each conference will send out five players for a traditional tug-of-war, this time over a foam pit.
Move the chains: Veering into World’s Strongest Man territory next, as five offensive and defensive linemen from each conference attempt to move a 3,000lb weight off a wall and then pull the 2,000lb wall across a finish line.
7-on-7 flag football: The Pro Bowl Games climax with three games of flag football between the conferences.
Live on DAZN: Watch Conor Benn vs. Peter Dobson on February 3. Click here for details.