2020 NFL Pro Bowl Skills Showdown

Jason Hoffman | Cincinnati Enquirer

The National Football League's version of an All-Star game has run its course and needs to be replaced. Nobody really liked the NFL Pro Bowl anyways – it was always a boring game with players not trying to get hurt, save Sean Taylor blowing up Brian Moorman.

Instead of the showcase of the NFL's best not playing in the Super Bowl, here's a new proposal: Let's have the two worst teams in the league play for the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft and the team with the worst record hosts the game. What's not to like?

Think about this year. You'd have the Cincinnati Bengals hosting the Washington Redskins. The Redskins missed out on the first pick by virtue of the Bengals playing Ryan Finley for a three-game stretch to see what they had in the North Carolina State product for which they traded up. The result? Not much.

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Conversely, the Redskins fired former Bengals' offensive coordinator Jay Gruden after starting 0-5. They thought they had their guy when they drafted Dwayne Haskins out of Ohio State last year and it appears he's at least a viable NFL quarterback.

While those two teams playing this year isn't necessary because it's likely the Bengals will draft QB Joe Burrow from LSU and the Redskins will take OSU's Chase Young, imagine the intrigue if the Bengals had to face the Miami Dolphins again.

I know the players wouldn't want to risk injury ahead of the next season, but that's why the NFL would pay them the same as winners/losers from the championship games. Bonuses for everyone involved and players have the option to not participate. It'd be a tough sell to the owners because they'd never pay a dime more than required to players, but the added TV revenue would make it well worth their while down the road.

Yes, players would be risking injury in a game that doesn't really matter as far as legacy and championships, but would also have a chance to audition for the rest of the league in case they're cut or aren't under contract.

While we're at it, let's add some more intrigue to the broadcast. Last year's Pro Bowl scored less than 8.5 million viewers, which was a year-over-year increase, but still considerably lower than a traditional Sunday broadcast.

In this made-for-TV event, we'll have the top-10 prospects for the draft stationed in a corner of the field, mic'd up for the entire game. They'd be interviewed throughout and it would all be available for $29.99 on pay per view available on all your devices. Think ESPN's MegaCast of the College Football National Championship game with people actually affected instead of coaches and officials bloviating.

Imagine Burrow being interviewed right after Andy Dalton throws the ball away on a third-and-six play on Washington's 40-yard line. After seeing Burrow's year at LSU, I can't imagine he'd be praising a throw out of bounds. Or maybe he would since he might want to go to a team better positioned than the Bengals heading into 2020.

Here'es the benefit to the NFL: TV rights for the games would be more expensive because the draw would be bigger than the current model. I'd still have the NFL host its own All-Star Bowl, but it would be a flag football game with zero line play. More 5-on-5 than 7-on-7. Have the players do their normal sideline interviews, be mic'd up and everyone enjoys themselves.

Could you imagine the rating increase for a game that mattered for two fanbases instead of the current Pro Bowl? I'd bet a game between the two worst teams in the league would outperform any regular-season game in Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, the National Basketball Association or Major League Soccer. The NFL already owns the majority of the most viewed TV events in the country, so this would just add to the list.

Then, you throw in the pay-per-view gate and this is a slam dunk.

Let's do this: Throw together a game four weeks in the making for the two worst teams in professional football. The players get paid, the coaches get extra time, more film is available for guys on the fringe of the roster, and we all get to enjoy bad football that means more than the annual scrimmage the NFL puts on ahead of the Super Bowl.

That's what I want to see