Mitchell Trubisky and Akiem Hicks to participate in 2019 Pro Bowl Skills Showdown

Chicago Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and defensive lineman Akiem Hicks were both named on Tuesday as representatives of the NFC in the 2019 Pro Bowl Skills Showdown.

To top it all off, Hall of Famer and former Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher will serve as one of the NFC’s team captains.

An interesting storyline could be the squaring off of two quarterbacks from the 2017 draft class: Trubisky and Houston Texans signal-caller Deshaun Watson. With the two having been compared constantly since they were drafted, this event should serve as a fun and lighthearted way to see how they fare against each other.

2019 marks the third edition of the event, which showcases Pro Bowlers’ abilities through a series of athletic events. Given the format of the competition in past years, Trubisky will partake in the Precision Passing drill, in which he will have to hit an assortment of targets within one minute. Hicks will presumably enter the Gridiron Gauntlet, in which he will join four other NFC players to complete a relay race. In past years, defensive linemen are typically chosen to do the heavy bag push: a test of strength that requires the player to push three bags that combine for over 800 pounds in order to tag in one of his teammates.

Both players will likely play in the dodgeball game at the end of the event. The AFC won the game last year, so it will be up to Trubisky and Hicks to help the NFC take back the dodgeball crown.

The 2019 Pro Bowl Skills Showdown will take place on Thursday, January 22 at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN.