Pro Bowl skills challenge airs tonight, featuring Browns’ Joe Thomas playing dodgeball

For years, I have pleaded for the NFL to incorporate some form of a skills challenge to accompany or replace the Pro Bowl game. Many others have felt the same. This year, the NFL obliged by adding a “Skills Challenge” to Pro Bowl Week, which takes place tonight at 7:00 PM ET in Orlando, Florida on ESPN. Here are the challenges that will be included, per NFL.com:

• Epic Pro Bowl Dodgeball: Pro Bowlers will compete in a game of dodgeball.
• Power Relay Challenge: Four team members will compete in a timed relay race.
• Precision Passing: Two players on each team will battle it out, trying to hit moving targets of varying size and distance.
• Best Hands: Quarterback and wide receiver duos from each team will show off their skills, connecting on as many pass attempts as possible before time runs out.
• Drone Drop Challenge: This event was just added.

Each team in the Skills Showdown will feature a mix of quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, linemen, linebackers, and defensive backs. LT Joe Thomas is the only member of the Browns in Orlando, and he was one of the lucky individuals selected for the skills challenge, something which he poked fun at on Twitter:

Thomas will be participating in the dodgeball game; will he be among the last men standing?

As for a preview of the QB skills challenge and the drone drop challenge:

Will you be tuning in to watch tonight?