The NFL canceled the 2021 Pro Bowl on Wednesday due to the Covid-19 pandemic while awarding the 2022 edition of the all-star contest to Las Vegas.

The 2021 Pro Bowl was to have been played January 31 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, the new $2 billion, 65,000-seat home of the Las Vegas Raiders, who relocated from Oakland for the start of the 2020 campaign.

The league and the NFL Players Association will work with partners to create "virtual activities" to replace the game and pay tribute to the 88 players selected to the Pro Bowl all-star rosters.

NFL fans can still vote for players to Pro Bowl rosters starting November 17, with full rosters revealed in December. Votes by players, fans and coaches each count for one-third of the total points to selecting players.

The Pro Bowl becomes the latest NFL event to be wiped out by the pandemic, with the 2020 NFL Draft conducted virtually and the entire slate of August pre-season games canceled.

The NFL plans to complete a full season and playoffs through a February Super Bowl.

The 2022 NFL Draft as well as the 2022 Pro Bowl are now both set to take place in Las Vegas.