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2020 NFL Pro Bowl Highlights

Paige Needham

This year’s NFL Pro Bowl was held in Orlando, Florida on Sunday, January 26^th. The week leading up to the game was filled with fan meet and greets, team practices, and skill competitions. On Sunday, the game ended 38-33 with the AFC coming out on top. 

Fans voted for their favorite players throughout the season in hopes that they’d see them in the showcase. Team rosters included household names such as Aaron Rodgers, Michael Thomas, and Julio Jones among others. Most notably, the Baltimore Ravens sent 13 players to the bowl. 

The Skills Showdown consisted of five challenges including Precision Passing, Best Hands, and Dodgeball. The Precision Passing drill required players to earn as many points as possible in a passing accuracy competition. The NFC beat the AFC 43-17. A new event making its debut, Thread The Needle, saw defensive backs attempting to block the opposite team’s quarterbacks from passing into a target. The NFC beat the AFC 28-21. 

On Sunday immediately before the teams left the locker room, the sports community was rocked by the devastating news of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna’s passing. A heavy shadow could be felt during the event, with players including Lamar Jackson and Deshaun Watson weighing in on the impact of Kobe’s legacy. 

Just before the game started, Russell Wilson reportedly gave up his starting position to Drew Brees. Rumors surrounding Brees’ retirement may have led to the decision. If the rumors are true, the pro bowl may have served as the superstar quarterback’s final NFL start. 

Lamar Jackson was named the Offensive MVP with many anticipating the Raven being named the League MVP later this month. The other twelve Ravens had a large impact on both offense and defense. The game was notably less physical than regular season games, but many argued this was the least physical Pro Bowl yet.  

Finally, the NFL experimented with a new onside rule that would allow a fourth-and-15 attempt from a team’s 25-yard line which would replace the standard kickoff. Only the NFC attempted the play, which resulted in a Kirk Cousins pick.