Fan reviews of the new Pro Bowl format, now called the Pro Bowl Games, have been mixed. ABC, ESPN, and the Disney affiliates are likely awaiting final rating numbers before determining if it was a success or otherwise.
One San Francisco 49ers player was a fan of the new format, which replaced an actual football game played in past years with skill competitions and capped off the Las Vegas event at Allegiant Stadium with flag football games that featured players without the helmets or pads. The reimagining of the Pro Bowl comes after interest in past games dwindled and to reduce the risk of injuries.
That last benefit drew praise from 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, especially given that his team had just played 19 games, not counting the preseason.
"I definitely don't need to take more hits," McCaffrey said via Stephen Holder of ESPN. "So, I'm a proponent for it."
This was McCaffrey's second career Pro Bowl selection. His first selection came in 2019 under the replaced format.
McCaffrey was nearly not selected for this year's Pro Bowl, though. The running back was not initially named to the NFC all-star roster despite finishing the season with an impressive 1,880 all-purpose yards and 13 total touchdowns. One thousand two hundred ten of those yards came after the Carolina Panthers traded him to the 49ers in October. This month, McCaffrey was added to the Pro Bowl roster as a replacement for Philadelphia Eagles running back Miles Sanders.
McCaffrey was one of seven 49ers players selected to the Pro Bowl. The others were defensive end Nick Bosa, safety Talanoa Hufanga, fullback Kyle Juszczyk, tight end George Kittle, linebacker Fred Warner, and tackle Trent Williams.
The NFC beat the AFC 35-33 in this year's Pro Bowl Games.