The 2026 NFL Pro Bowl was held on Tuesday night in San Francisco at the Moscone Center, marking a strategic shift to flag football format with the aim of reducing injuries and promoting the sport ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The game featured a 50-yard field, with touchdowns worth six points and options for extra points from the 5- or 10-yard lines. High-profile players like Shedeur Sanders, Joe Burrow, and Joe Flacco participated, though some stars declined to play, citing reasons such as offseason training. The event was broadcast on ESPN and included notable highlights such as Joe Flacco’s deep touchdown pass to Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase’s spectacular one-handed pick-six with a backflip. The NFL’s move to a flag football format aligns with its broader strategy to showcase the sport globally, especially as flag football will be included in the Olympics for the first time in 2028. The event’s location in a smaller convention center was a compromise to fit the new format within Super Bowl week, with plans to continue this format through the 2027 Super Bowl in Los Angeles. Player participation remains a concern, as some players opt out, but the NFL expects enough involvement to sustain the event until the Olympics, with players earning up to $96,000 for winners and $48,000 for losers.