Pro Bowl

Manning Brothers Will Face Off as Coaches at Pro Bowl Games

Eli Manning will lead the NFC against older brother Peyton and the AFC in a new Pro Bowl format

NBC Universal, Inc.

The Manning brothers will revive old conference rivalries at the first-ever Pro Bowl Games in February. 

During their Week 13 edition of Mannigcast on Monday, the brothers announced that Eli will be coaching the NFC against the AFC, led by Peyton.

Eli Manning spent 16 seasons in the NFC -- all with the New York Giants. Meanwhile, older brother Peyton split his career between the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos but remained a stalwart of the AFC. Together, the brothers combined for 18 Pro Bowls and four Super Bowl rings.

As head coaches, they’ll be tasked with picking among the 44 Pro Bowlers available to them for each skills competition and drafting lineups for the three seven-on-seven flag football games. 

This season’s Pro Bowl, scheduled for early February in Las Vegas, underwent a major facelift this past season and is set to unveil a whole new setup. Taking a page out of other major sports’ equivalents, the Pro Bowl will now be a week-long celebration with “new challenges and player showcases.”

In addition to the skills competitions, one of the biggest changes at the Pro Bowl will be the substitution of flag football in place of tackle. The NFL said this decision was made to both “create a fresh take on what had become quite stale” and improve player safety and decrease the risk of injury. 

Pro Bowl selections are based on an even three-part split between fans, players and coaches. The fan vote is already open until December 15, Players and coaches will vote on December 16.

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