PRO BOWL CANCELED, BUT NOT SELECTIONS
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 f lexibility 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.
NOLA Super Bowl pushed back
The next Super Bowl in New Orleans has been pushed back from 2024 to 2025 in order to avoid a conf lict with the city's traditional Mardi Gras celebrations, the NFL announced.
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 conf lict 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.
Multiple reports have indicated Las Vegas is a contender to replace
New Orleans as host in 2024.
Cardinals lose Jones for year
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 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 41⁄ seasons. He's also been
2 durable up until Sunday and played in all 16 games from 2016-19.
Notable
The Patriots activated quarterback Cam Newton from their COVID-19 reserve list Wednesday, clearing the way for him to resume practicing and to play in Sunday's rescheduled game against the Denver Broncos in Foxborough, Mass.
Newton could practice with the Patriots as soon as today. He missed one game after testing positive for the novel coronavirus. His positive test was confirmed Oct. 3 by a person familiar with the result.
Packers wide receiver Davante Adams says his hamstring is feeling even better than it did last week, when he tweeted his frustration over not playing in a Monday night game against the Falcons.
Adams has missed two straight games, but is hoping to return for the Packers' Sunday matchup at Tampa Bay (3-2). As the Packers returned from their bye week, Adams was a full participant in Wednesday's practice and said the hamstring feels just as good now as it did before he injured it.
The Jaguars acquired disgruntled linebacker Kamalei Correa from the Titans for a lateround pick. The Jaguars sent a sixth-round pick in 2021 to the Titans for Correa and a seventhround selection.
Baker Mayfield was limited in practice because of sore ribs, but the Browns QB is confident he'll play Sunday against the Steelers.