SAN FRANCISCO — Dak Prescott snapping the ball to Jalen Hurts was a play that could only happen at Wednesday’s Pro Bowl Games, the centerpiece for the NFL’s push to grow flag football while sharing the stage with last week’s Super Bowl.
Prescott wasn’t just filling in at center, though. He quickly turned and ran backward to catch a lateral from Hurts so he could do what he does best — throw the ball.
Prescott fired a touchdown pass on one of the many creative plays that were part of an entertaining game between the AFC and NFC all-stars — or the players who chose to participate, including quarterbacks Joe Flacco and Shedeur Sanders.
Joe Burrow threw a pass and got it back on a lateral before running in for a score on another one of those made-for-flag trick plays.
While the league’s new format for the Pro Bowl has drawn heavy criticism from folks who want to see tackle football, the players said they enjoyed the atmosphere, the energy in the crowd was electric and the game itself was quite competitive.
“It’s a blast,” said 49ers All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey. “It’s definitely a different game. So many similarities, though. To get the competitive juices going late in that game was a lot of fun.”
The Pro Bowl was rebranded in 2022 as the league was beginning to prioritize flag football in an effort to increase the sport’s popularity globally, create opportunities for girls to play and set it up for inclusion in the 2028 Olympics.
Events kicked off with the international championship featuring co-ed teams from 14 countries competing in a three-day tournament, culminating in the deciding game Tuesday.
On Wednesday, it was a glow-in-the-dark flag football game, then on Thursday, the Seattle Seahawks hosted a football camp for girls. Saturday featured Girls Flag Empowerment Day with Hall of Famer Jerry Rice.
For the NFL, flag football represents a global market the ever-growing league sees as vital for its future.
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