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NEW YORK — This week the NFL and EA SPORTS announced plans to transform the 2021 NFL Pro Bowl by going virtual in Madden NFL 21. The opening of the Pro Bowl Fan Vote also kicked off this week.

Since the Pro Bowl game will not be played in-person at Allegiant Stadium, the NFL will incorporate several additional elements which will comprise this new virtual experience. 

EA SPORTS and the NFL will create a week-long series of matchups featuring celebrities, NFL Legends, current players, and streamers playing as the official Pro Bowl rosters in Madden NFL 21.  These virtual games will be available for fans to watch on several platforms.

For players of Madden NFL 21, EA SPORTS will be dropping new Pro Bowl content in-game so that players worldwide can play out the AFC vs. NFC matchup themselves.

“Even amidst unparalleled change across the sports industry, we are excited to transition many of the signature components of the Pro Bowl-which will go virtual in Madden NFL 21– into a new innovative experience for our players and fans. We remain committed to using our Pro Bowl platform to empower fans to virtually celebrate the best players in the game,” Peter O’Reilly, NFL EVP of Club Business and Events, stated in a release.

“Our partners at EA SPORTS and Verizon are uniquely positioned to help the NFL make the transformation of this high-profile event from live to virtual possible, and we look forward to working closely with them to deliver this unprecedented experience to fans.”

From today until December 17, fans fans can vote for their favorite players to be named to the 2021 Pro Bowl.

Click the links below to vote for your favorite Chiefs:

Fans can also vote through Madden NFL 21 Mobile and Madden NFL 21 on consoles or on Twitter during the final two weeks of voting (December 1 – December 17). Fans will need to tweet the first and last name of the player, tagging the player’s official Twitter handle or creating a hashtag including the player’s first and last name. All three of these methods must include the hashtag: #ProBowlVote.

NFL players and coaches will cast their votes on Friday, December 18.

Player selections will be determined by a combination of fan’s votes, players and coaches, with each group’s vote counting as one-third toward determining the All-Star players who will be selected to this year’s Virtual Pro Bowl.

The NFL is the only sports league that combines voting by fans, coaches and players to determine its Pro Bowl teams.