Notes: 2023 Pro Bowl game details revealed

7-on-7. Skills competitions. Eli and Peyton Manning as coaches. This is already shaping up to be way better than the old Pro Bowl.

For some time now, the NFL’s Pro Bowl has been really lackluster. Other leagues have found ways to keep their respective all star games relevant, but with football, it’s kind of a different beast.

For starters, at the end of a grueling 18-week regular season, the last thing most players want to do is put their bodies at risk for a meaningless game. Over the last several years, the game itself had already begun devolving into a weird form of football. Defenders were reluctant to take ball-carriers to the ground, offensive and defensive linemen were making deals about how hard they would try, and it all contributed to a really gross on-field product. Despite the aforementioned issues with the game, the majority of players still really care about being voted in, even though it isn’t held in the same regard as an All-Pro selection.

Finally, it seems the NFL has listened. The 2023 Pro Bowl will be a two-day event, complete with 7-on-7 games, skills competitions, and more. Seemingly taking a page out of the NBA’s book, the NFL appears to be leaning in to their star players’ personalities. It took longer than it should have, but as they say—better late than never.

On Wednesday, ESPN released details about the games, including broadcasting information. If you want to check out what will be a different Pro Bowl, details are here.

And now, onto the rest of today’s notes:

• At the end of the year, DeShon Elliott told Dave Birkett of the Free Press that he may need surgery on a his separated shoulder. Now a few weeks later, here’s a photo from Elliott’s Instagram this Wednesday.

• Already missing watching the Lions on Sundays? Same. Here are some Aidan Hutchinson highlights to help.

• Still miss them? How about some highlights of Da Problem?

• Safety Tracy Walker is well on his way to recovering from surgery that cut his 2022 season short. Jeff Risdon of The Lions Wire has more.

• As you likely already know, the Lions are swapping out their old (and controversial) slit-film surface for FieldTurf’s “CORE system”. The hashtag won me over.