Reports: NFL Playoffs to Expand, Extra Regular Season Game with Proposed CBA
An extra playoff team for each conference in 2020, a longer regular season in 2021 and even a shorter preseason could be coming to the NFL.
The latest proposed Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) from the owners would expand the playoffs to seven teams from both the AFC and NFC, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. What this means, is there would be six Wild Card games between Saturday and Sunday of Wild Card Weekend.
Also, Schefter reports only the top seed from each conference would earn a first-round bye, unlike the current format where the top two seeds earn opening round byes.
One source, reportedly told Schefter, “that’s been agreed to for a long time.” The playoff changes would take effect this upcoming season, if the CBA is agreed on.
What hasn’t been agreed to is a longer regular season, yet. The owner-proposed CBA would lengthen the regular season to 17 games, and it would cut the preseason from four games to three, according to Schefter. However, Schefter reports the expanded regular season wouldn’t take effect until 2021 at the earliest.
Finally, the players would also get additional money of the revenue share, according to Schefter.
More on the transformational CBA proposal now on the table, per sources: As part of the new deal, players go from 47% share under current deal to 48% share at 16 games, and then to 48.5% share if they go to 17 games, shifting $5 billion of revenue to players’ side.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 20, 2020
Schefter’s source also says the CBA is not done, but “I’d be very surprised if there’s not a new CBA for the new league year,” which starts on March 18.
