2 min read • February 02, 2023
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The Pro Bowl has a new spin this year, with the NFL changing the game from a glorified scrimmage to three flag football games. Each game is 20 minutes, with two halves played on 50-yard fields. Scoring plays will count for six points with a one-point conversion from the 5-yard line.
But even though the NFL changed the Pro Bowl from a contact sport to flag football, they still didn't consider the possible injuries to players' legs.
In 1999 the Pro Bowl former Patriots running back Robert Edwards dislocated his kneecap during the rookie "Beach Bowl." His career was never the same, and it took two years of rehab to walk normally again.
This year's Pro Bowl won't be played on sand, but it faces a similar problem.
Players will get competitive.
Like how Edwards got injured during a scrum, current NFL players will cut and spin hard to avoid defenders reaching for their flags.
According to our Pro Football Docs, it would be better if the game was played on a grass field and the players wore shoes to limit the injury risk.
Around 80% of ACL tears are non-contact injuries, and cleats getting stuck in turf is a huge factor.
If you wear shoes on grass, you're more likely to slip, but the odds of your foot getting stuck in the ground drop significantly.
According to the CBA, players on the winning team will get $88,000, and players on the losing team will receive $44,000.
So with a monetary incentive, it makes the game even more likely to get competitive.
The Pro Bowl will be played at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, which has a natural grass and turf field.
Since the stadium is new, the developers of the stadium were able to make two separate fields that are both retractable.
So to minimize injuries to our current NFL stars, the game would be better if played on the stadium's real grass field.
Finally, as long as players aren't giving their maximum effort, they should be fine. But all it takes is the urge to make a player miss in the open field.
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