New Orleans Super Bowl pushed to ’25
NEW ORLEANS — The next Super Bowl in New Orleans has been pushed back from 2024 to 2025 in order to avoid a conflict with the city’s traditional Mardi Gras celebrations, the NFL announced Wednesday.
The NFL said the change was approved by all 32 clubs during a virtual league meeting.
New Orleans was initially named the 2024 host city in 2018, but the NFL’s decision to lengthen the regular season schedule from 16 to 17 games in 2023 created a conflict in 2024 with Mardi Gras, which annually draws millions to the city for parades and balls during a several-week Carnival season that ends on “Fat Tuesday.”
Mardi Gras is tied to the Catholic calendar and falls on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. It occurs on Feb. 13 in 2024 and March 4 in 2025. The city is most crowded during the final week of Carnival and hosting another major event such as a Super Bowl at that time would be exceedingly difficult.
The new host city for the 2024 Super Bowl remains to be named, the NFL said.
PRO BOWL CANCELED
The NFL has canceled next January’s Pro Bowl scheduled for Las Vegas.
During an owners meeting held virtually on Wednesday, the league opted to call off the all-star game, hoping to replace it with a variety of virtual activities. The NFL needs flexibility in January in case it needs to move regular-season games to that month because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“The league will work closely with the NFLPA and other partners, to create a variety of engaging activities to replace the Pro Bowl game this season,” the NFL said in a statement.
The Pro Bowl, set for Jan. 31, a week before the Super Bowl, has lost much of its attractiveness in recent years. Many of the chosen players decided not to participate, and, naturally, players from the two Super Bowl teams don’t go.
If there is a Pro Bowl in 2022, the 32 owners voted to return it to the new Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
A fan vote for Pro Bowl rosters still will be held, beginning.
Nov. 17. The rosters will be announced in December. Players, coaches and fans vote for the Pro Bowl.
DUI FOR GORDON III
Broncos running back Melvin Gordon III wasn’t at practice Wednesday after being cited for driving under the influence and speeding by Denver police the night before.
“We are aware of the situation involving Melvin Gordon. Our organization has been in communication with him and is in the process of gathering more details,” the team said in a statement Wednesday.
Gordon was cited for traveling between 25 and 39 mph faster than the posted speed limit when he was pulled over Tuesday in downtown Denver, according to police records.
Gordon could face discipline from the NFL, including a suspension. Last year, Broncos safety Kareem Jackson was suspended for the final two games after a DUI arrest in September in downtown Denver.
Gordon’s agent Damarius Bilbo declined to comment when reached by The Associated Press.
Gordon is coming off his first 100-yard game for the Broncos after signing a two-year, $16 million free agent contract last offseason.
CARDS LOSE JONES
The Arizona Cardinals expected the news but it still wasn’t fun to hear: All-Pro linebacker Chandler Jones is out for the season because of a biceps injury that requires surgery.
An MRI earlier this week confirmed the extent of the injury, which happened during the first half of Arizona’s 30-10 win over the New York Jets on Sunday, and coach Kliff Kingsbury said Wednesday that Jones has elected to have the season-ending surgery. The recovery time is expected to be three to four months.
The 6-foot-5, 265-pound Jones has been one of the league’s premier pass rushers since coming to Arizona, with 61 sacks over the past 4 1/2 seasons. He’s also been durable up until Sunday and played in all 16 games from 2016-19.