ESPN.com · Feb 2, 2025
NFL Pro Bowl 101: History, notable records, 2025 schedule
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The NFL Pro Bowl has had several iterations over the years. The league's annual star-studded exhibition was first held on Jan. 15, 1939, as the NFL All-Star Game, pitting the league's champion -- the 1938 New York Giants -- against a team of All-Stars. The first official Pro Bowl was played on Jan. 14, 1951, with the top players in the American/Eastern Conference taking on the best in the National/Western Conference. Cleveland Browns quarterback Otto Graham was named the MVP.
When the AFL and NFL merged in 1970, the exhibition was named the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players from the league's two respective conferences.
