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Wednesday, Jan 29, 2025 07:30 PM

NFL+: What to expect from the 2025 Pro Bowl Games

Mia Fowler

NFL.com contributor

The 2025 Pro Bowl Games are here! The league’s best (as voted on by the fans) will show off their best moves over the course of a weekend, backed by AFC coach Peyton Manning and NFC coach Eli Manning. This made-for-TV event will be available on NFL+.

Pro Bowl Games Skills Show:

In the first part of the two-day event, the AFC and NFC players will compete in the Pro Bowl Skills Show -- a collection of challenges that Pro Bowlers will compete in. This event takes place in the Nicholson Fieldhouse at the University of Central Florida, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, Jan. 30. It is available to stream on NFL+.

Below is a look at the list of challenges you can expect to watch on Thursday.

Passing the Test (3 points)

Quarterbacks try to hit targets at various distances around the field worth different point values in 40 seconds. Targets include six stationary targets and three moving targets. The QB can only hit a target once, until all the targets are hit, then all targets are available to hit again. The QB will keep throwing to accumulate points until time runs out.

Before the challenge, each QB will select a Pro Bowl Games teammate to answer five trivia questions about current Pro Bowl players. For every correct answer, the QB gets an additional 10 seconds.

The winner of the competition is the team with the quarterback who scores the most points. The duo who wins will earn three points for their respective conference.

Pro Bowlers featured in this challenge:

Satisfying Catches presented by SNICKERS® (3 points)

One wide receiver, tight end and defensive back from each conference will compete in an obstacle course challenge, which includes catches from a JUGS machine at three different distances, to test every aspect of catching a football. There are four stages to this obstacle course:

  • Stage 1: In the first stage, a receiver must catch three balls one-handed from a JUGS machine 8 to 10 yards away. Receivers must only use their hands; the ball cannot touch their body. They must complete all three catches to move on.
  • Stage 2: A receiver will wear a mascot’s hands and attempt to catch a ball from the JUGS machine 21 feet away. They must perform a “sideline catch” by attempting to catch the ball away from their body in front of an “out-of-bounds” pad.
  • Stage 3: A receiver is set up eight yards away from a gym mat, which is located 33 feet from a JUGS machine. When the whistle is blown, the JUGS machine will start, and the player can begin running. They must run, jump, and make the catch.
  • Stage 4: If the player catches the ball properly in Stage 3, they will sprint to the finish line. If they drop the ball, they must sprint through an agility obstacle course before crossing the finish line.

Once the first player finishes, they will press a button that allows the next player in their team to repeat Stages 1-4. This is repeated until all three players finish the same course. The fastest team to complete the catching obstacle course wins three points for their conference.

Pro Bowlers featured in this challenge:

The Big Spike (3 points)

Three players from each conference step up to the Spike-o-Meter, which measures the power and impact of a football spike.

Players spike the football onto a platform with all their might and watch as the number measuring that spike runs up. Each player has three attempts. At the end, the conference with the player who scored the highest number on their spike wins three points for their conference.

Pro Bowlers featured in this challenge:

Relay Race (1-3 points)

In this relay race, different position groups from each conference are paired on a team. There will be four players from each conference competing in each round of the relay race. Each player runs 40 yards, holding onto a football, which they will pass to their teammate when they complete the 40-yard run.

The conferences will compete in three rounds.

There are a total of three points up for grabs in this relay. The winning team from each round can earn one point for their respective conference.

Pro Bowlers featured in this challenge:

AFC

NFC

Helmet Harmony (1-3 points)

Helmet Harmony is a game show to test player knowledge of their teammates. There’s a total of 12 players competing in this game -- six from each conference, each in pairs of two. In each pair one player is the “guesser” and one is the “anchor.” The “guesser” will be asked questions about their teammate's preferences, habits, and maybe even some locker room secrets. There are five questions per round and there are three rounds.

After a question is asked, both players will write their answer on a white board. If the answers match, they get a point. The points will accumulate through the three rounds, and the conference with the most points after three rounds wins the 3 total points.

Pro Bowlers featured in this challenge:

AFC

NFC

Dodgeball presented by Bud Light (3-6 points)

This is a classic dodgeball tournament featuring four teams of seven players each. Teams will be a mix of AFC offensive, defensive and special teams players competing against a mix of NFC offensive, defensive and special teams players. The team who knocks out every player on the other team first wins the game. There will be two rounds, with each round being worth three points.

Pro Bowlers featured in this challenge:

AFC

NFC

Pro Bowl Games Flag Football (and more skills)

The Pro Bowl Skills Show continues on Sunday, Feb. 2 with more competitions, all culminating in an epic 7-on-7 flag football game between the AFC and NFC. Sunday’s event will be held at Camping World Stadium and available to non-attendees on NFL+ beginning at 3 p.m. ET.

Below is a look at what to expect on Sunday.

Punt Perfect (3 points)

Two players (one punter, one non-punter) from each conference punt from the 35-yard line, attempting to place as many punts as possible into a set of six buckets in the end zone. Each bucket is worth one point. Every fourth punt, a player will kick a “money ball” which is worth three points if made in a bucket. Each player will go for one minute (or 12 balls).

The team with the highest combined score will win three points for their respective conference.

Pro Bowlers featured in this challenge:

Head-to-Head with Madden 25®

A classic matchup featuring the latest version of everyone’s favorite video game -- Madden 25. In this challenge, two players in each conference will square off in a 2v2 game of Madden. The winning team will earn three points for their conference.

Pro Bowlers featured in this challenge:

The Great Football Race (3 points)

In this race, six players from each conference will face off in a relay race consisting of five different challenges. The two conferences will race simultaneously and the the team to cross the finish line first wins. The stages of the race are as follows:

  • Stage 1: A cheerleader will reveal that name of a Pro Bowler on a giant card. The first player will have to go find that player’s face from a selection of giant head cutouts on a wall. Once they have the correct face, they must run through a tire obstacle course to hang the head on a body cutout. Then, the player will go through a series of breakthrough walls and push a tackling dummy to trigger Stage 2.
  • Stage 2: Two players will flip two tires for 20 yards down the field until they reach the finish line, where they will then push a tackling dummy to trigger Stage 3.
  • Stage 3: A long snapper must knock over six 3-foot-tall bowling pins by snapping the football to topple them over, then push a tackling dummy to trigger Stage 4.
  • Stage 4: A kicker will aim to kick a target that is suspended in the air 20 yards away. Once he hits it, it triggers Stage 5.
  • Stage 5: The last player will push a sled for 15 yards, with someone from his conference sitting on the sled.

The first players to cross the finish line with the sled wins three points for their respective conference.

Pro Bowlers featured in this challenge:

Tug of war (3 points)

Two teams of linemen (made up of five players each) are positioned over a foam pit in a best-of-three competition. Each team holds onto one end of a long rope, attempting to pull the other team into the foam pit between them. The team who pulls the other team into the foam pit wins that round.

The team that wins two out of the three rounds will win three points for their respective conference.

Pro Bowlers featured in this challenge:

AFC

NFC

Flag Football Finale

The main event! The league’s best will square off in a classic flag football game. The two conferences will play three games of 7-on-7 flag football with four 12-minute quarters each. Eli Manning will assume coaching duties for the NFC team and Peyton Manning will do so for the AFC.

At the end of the games, conferences will add their total points scored in the finale to their points accumulated from the skills competition and a 2025 Pro Bowl Games winner will be crowned!

Pro Bowlers featured in this challenge: