"We've had serious discussion with the players association on the upgrading of the quality of this game," said Ray Anderson, NFL VP of football operations.

"There's a happy medium, a balance. Nobody wants to get hurt at an all-star game, but I think we've got to find that balance. It's our responsibility as players and we owe it to the fans," said Chicago Bears and Pro Bowl player Charles Tillman.

The NFL said it will decide the fate of the Pro Bowl when it releases next season's schedule in April.

The league has talked about possibly moving the event to the same city as the Super Bowl, or dissolving the event altogether, but on Tuesday there was no talk of that, only the effort to keep it here in Hawaii.