Is the NFL Combine Dying?

The 2024 NFL Combine provided some extraordinary moments this year, from record-setting performances to dazzling deep balls. But the event may be in crisis.

Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images

The NFL Combine seems to be chugging along, with increased interest from fans and more eyeballs painted on television screens to see prospects run the 40-yard dash and hear about the evaluations of some of the top rookies in the NFL draft.

We’re in year two of the fan experience at the NFL Combine and it was well-attended on the day that quarterbacks threw and receivers ran – leading to a truly wonderful environment when Xavier Worthy broke the combine record in the 40-yard dash. And everyone could appreciate how cool Joe Milton’s arrogant deep ball was.

Video courtesy Lance Zierlein — check out his tweet because Twitter won’t allow me to embed it.

But beneath the surface, it certainly seems like the NFL Combine is dying.

The headlines about Caleb Williams declining essentially every aspect of the event, including the medicals as well as Marvin Harrison Jr. dipping out entirely, represent a small portion of what could end up being the beginning of the end of the showcase if the NFL doesn’t do something about it.

In addition to the higher-profile prospects declining to perform press interviews, medical testing and on-field workouts – the three top quarterbacks all chose not to throw – there have been more prospects slated to go in the middle rounds that have declined to perform workout testing despite showing up to Indianapolis in good health.

That means, with the addition of Malik Nabers and Brock Bowers, nearly every player projected to go near the top of the draft declined to work out along with players projected for Day 2 or even Day 3 consideration, like Malachi Corley and Tayvion Robinson.

Combine Workout Participation Is Declining

Nine running backs performed the short shuttle this year, an enormous uptick over the previous year – two – and incomparably higher than in 2022, when no running backs performed the drill. Between 2018 and 2020, at least 15 running backs performed this once-crucial drill each year for the position.