The NFL announced that the 2021 Pro Bowl will take place at Allegiant Stadium, the new home of the Las Vegas Raiders.
This is some much-needed good news for the Raiders organization after they were set to host the 2020 NFL Draft although were unable to as it was done virtually due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said at the Super Bowl this past year that he envisions future Super Bowls and Pro Bowls in Las Vegas, and he now has delivered on one of those.
Raiders players Jason Witten and Derek Carr were involved in the video announcement the league put out to reveal that the Pro Bowl is coming to Sin City:
The biggest NFL stars are coming to Vegas.
The 2021 Pro Bowl presented by Verizon is heading to Las Vegas!
MORE: https://t.co/8SX9iW33gd pic.twitter.com/vwjwvVYiAD
— NFL (@NFL) June 16, 2020
With so much uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, it remains to be seen whether there will be fans allowed to attend the Pro Bowl at Allegiant Stadium or not. As it currently stands, there aren’t expected to be fans in attendance for regular-season games, so something drastic would have to change between now and January for the Pro Bowl to be different.
Regardless though, having the NFL’s All-Star game at a destination city like Las Vegas will perhaps get more players to participate.
The NFL also announced that Caesars Entertainment, the league’s official casino sponsor, will use its casino properties for fan experience during the Pro Bowl. So even if they aren’t allowed in the stadium, fans will have some festivities of their own to participate in during the week.
The Raiders have a much more talented roster in 2020 than they did in 2019, so perhaps they will have more players invited to the Pro Bowl if they do not make it to the Super Bowl. Only Rodney Hudson and Trent Brown made it last year, although Derek Carr, Josh Jacobs, Darren Waller, Cory Littleton, Trayvon Mullen, Maxx Crosby and plenty of others could all be candidates this time around.
