The 2017 Pro Bowl skills challenge will feature…dodgeball

The NFL announced Monday it will hold a Skills Showdown featuring some of the league's biggest stars.

The event will air Jan. 26 in the buildup to the Jan. 29 Pro Bowl. It consists of four competitions: Epic Pro Bowl Dodgeball, the Power Relay Challenge, Precision Passing and Best Hands.

In recent years, the NFL has staged a draft to fill out the two Pro Bowl rosters, but the classic AFC vs. NFC format is returning for 2017. That extends to the skills competition.

Jerome Bettis and Ray Lewis will be the legends captains for the AFC, while Tony Gonzalez and Charles Woodson will lead the NFC.

The skills challenge was once a staple of Pro Bowl week, but league spokesman Greg Aiello told Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio that various logistical issues forced the league to scrap the event after 2007.

NFL Media's Mike Garafolo noted the Precision Passing portion of the Skills Showdown is reminiscent of the old Quarterback Challenge, which was welcome news to former NFL signal-caller David Carr:

ESPN's Michele Steele and Bleacher Report's Mike Tanier are both looking forward to the dodgeball portion of the event:

General interest in the Pro Bowl has been on the decline.

Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman was particularly critical of the 2016 edition, citing the number of players who declined invitations. According to Elias Sports Bureau (via ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert), a record 133 players were either voted into the Pro Bowl or named as alternates.

Not coincidentally, the 2016 Pro Bowl drew the lowest overnight TV rating (5.0) on record, according to SportsBusiness Daily's Austin Karp.

The Pro Bowl draft helped reinvigorate NFL's all-star game, but the novelty quickly wore thin, as evidenced by last year's viewership.

The Skills Showdown might be a way for the Pro Bowl to win back some of the fans who have grown apathetic toward the game. The opportunity to participate in the competition may also sway some players who would've otherwise opted out of Pro Bowl weekend.

All things considered, the Skills Showdown should be an entertaining diversion before the Pro Bowl and Super Bowl LI on Feb. 5.