The NFL's Pro Bowl Is Finally Going To Be Fun

The NFL Pro Bowl has become little more than a glorified flag football game between the league's best players, minus those on the Super Bowl teams.

A few dozen guys jog around the field for a few hours, (rightfully) doing anything they can to avoid a career-altering injury during a meaningless football exhibition. This snooze fest has been punished by plummeting ratings and little fan interest.

So the NFL is mixing things up this year. And it's going to be awesome.

The league is adding a "Pro Bowl Skills Showdown" to 2017's Pro Bowl festivities, according to an announcement Monday from the NFL.

The Pro Bowl itself — which is going back to its AFC vs. NFC format — isn't going anywhere, but four skills competitions will take place before. From the NFL's release, they are:

• Epic Pro Bowl Dodgeball: Pro Bowlers will compete in a game of dodgeball.
• Power Relay Challenge: Four team members will compete in a timed relay race.
• Precision Passing: Two players on each team will battle it out, trying to hit moving targets of varying size and distance.
• Best Hands: Quarterback-and-wide receiver duos from each team will show off their skills, connecting on as many pass attempts as possible before time runs out.

It's hard to not get excited about relays between the NFL's speediest players and a dodgeball game between 300-pound linemen (we can dream).

The skills competition is being produced by A. Smith & Co. Productions, which have given us television gems such as "American Ninja Warrior" and "Hell's Kitchen."

The new mini-games will take place Thursday, Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. Eastern and will be carried live on ESPN. The Pro Bowl game is on Sunday, Jan. 29 at 8 p.m. on ESPN.

Image via U.S. Air Force