when did the pro bowl become flag football

The Pro Bowl officially became a flag football game starting with the 2023 Pro Bowl Games in Las Vegas, when the NFL replaced the traditional tackle all‑star game with a 7‑on‑7 flag format as the main event.

Quick Scoop

• The NFL announced in late 2022 that the classic full-contact Pro Bowl game was being scrapped in favor of a new “Pro Bowl Games” format built around skills contests and a final flag football matchup.

• The first Pro Bowl played fully as flag football was the 2023 edition, making 2023 the year the Pro Bowl “became” flag football in an official, permanent way.

• Since then, every Pro Bowl has centered on a 7‑on‑7 flag game, emphasizing player safety, higher entertainment value, and more creative, low-risk play instead of heavy tackling.

Why the NFL made the switch

• Quality of play in the old Pro Bowl had been widely criticized for years because players were understandably hesitant to tackle hard in an exhibition, leading to a soft, low‑intensity game.

• The league wanted to reduce injury risk, respond to player feedback, and still showcase stars, so they leaned into flag football—something they were already promoting globally and eyeing for events like the Olympics.

• The rebrand to “Pro Bowl Games” turned the week into a mix of skills challenges plus the flag game, with former legends like Peyton and Eli Manning brought in as coaches to add personality and fan appeal.

A bit of context

• While the official shift to flag came in 2023, many fans joked that “there hasn’t been real tackling in the Pro Bowl for years” because contact had already become very light long before the rule change.

• The current format uses modified flag rules (7‑on‑7, smaller field, timed quarters, no tackling), which keeps the pace high and lets stars show off route-running, passing, and coverage skills without big collisions.

In forum and social media discussions, people often phrase it exactly as you did—“when did the Pro Bowl become flag football?”—and the consensus answer is: 2023, with the launch of the Pro Bowl Games.

TL;DR: If you’re just looking for the year: the Pro Bowl became a flag football event in 2023, after the NFL announced the change in 2022.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.