(Photo credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

The NFL is moving the Pro Bowl Games to Super Bowl week this February, the league announced on Wednesday.

Staging the showcase in the Bay Area ahead of Super Bowl LX is intended to shine a brighter light on flag football ahead of the sport's Olympic debut in Los Angeles in 2028.

'Building on our strong partnerships with the Bay Area Host Committee and ESPN, we're thrilled to make the 2026 Pro Bowl Games presented by Verizon part of Super Bowl week, our biggest platform of the year, elevating flag football and our best players in a way that's never been done before,' said Peter O'Reilly, NFL executive vice president of events, international and club business.

'The Pro Bowl Games will not only be an exciting showcase of our best talent, but also a taste of the elite athleticism and dynamic action we can expect to see on the Olympic stage.'

The Pro Bowl Games typically are held during the extra week between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl. They were held in Orlando, Fla., the past two years following two years in Las Vegas.

Coverage of the 2026 Pro Bowl Games will begin on ESPN at 6:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Feb. 3. The flag football game will begin at 8 p.m. ET at the Moscone Center, a convention center complex in San Francisco.

'We are dedicated to making the Pro Bowl Games a prime-time television event that will enhance Super Bowl week,' said Burke Magnus, ESPN president of content.

'Our shared vision focuses on using a production approach that spotlights the world's best players in a manner unique to the Pro Bowl Games format, while highlighting flag football and its emergence on the global sports landscape.'

Super Bowl LX is on Feb. 8 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.

--Field Level Media