Plagued by poor play and poor attendance, the Pro Bowl has been the subject of a great deal of criticism from those who think the game should be scrapped.
Instead, the game is being moved, according to a report.
The NFL is moving the Pro Bowl to Orlando, according to Bloomberg News, which cites three unnamed sources.
However, the league office tells PFT that no official decision has been made, and there are still other cities in the running. Those cities include longtime host Honolulu and next year’s Super Bowl host, Houston, as well as Sydney, Australia. Honolulu has hosted every Pro Bowl since 1979 with the exception of 2010, when it was in Miami, and 2015, when it was in Arizona. In both of those years the game was played in the same stadium as the Super Bowl.
Orlando’s Citrus Bowl stadium has undergone extensive renovations and is angling to host NFL games, which could include both the Pro Bowl and potentially an occasional home game for either the Jacksonville Jaguars or Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The biggest question facing the NFL is how many players would be willing to play in the Pro Bowl if it’s in Orlando. One of the perks of the Pro Bowl in the past has been the free trip to Hawaii. If that perk goes away, even more star players may decide to stay home.