Contract Approved, 17-Game Regular Season

[Ronfitch]

The regular season will now be 17 games, the preseason will be 3 games.

From the article:

"Among those gains:

-An increase from the 47 percent of league revenues given to the players, with that percentage dependent on the length of the season.

- A reduction of the preseason, initially from four games to three. More time off during training camps.

- Upgraded pensions, with the addition of groups of previous players not included in past agreements.

- Two more roster spots per team's practice squad, with players having more freedom to move up to the regular roster and back. Two more will be added later in the agreement.

- Narrowing the testing period for players for marijuana use, plus lowered discipline for using it; and a reduction in on-field fines.

Adding two playoff teams was not part of the bargaining process; the owners can do so without union approval. That is expected to occur this season, with only the top team in each conference getting a wild-card bye."

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/03/1 ... ame-season

[JuggernautJ]

...And the post season has been expanded to include 14 teams (up from 12 previously) with only one team per conference receiving a first round bye.
The first place team in each conference will not play in the "Wild Card" round while each of the other division leaders will have a game. So, seven of the 16 teams (almost half) in each conference will make the play-offs.
It's almost-hockey (or basketball).

[SixtiesFan]

...And the post season has been expanded to include 14 teams (up from 12 previously) with only one team per conference receiving a first round bye.
The first place team in each conference will not play in the "Wild Card" round while each of the other division leaders will have a game. So, seven of the 16 teams (almost half) in each conference will make the play-offs.
It's almost-hockey (or basketball).

And I can remember when you had to "win your division" to be in the one "playoff game."

[lastcat3]

...And the post season has been expanded to include 14 teams (up from 12 previously) with only one team per conference receiving a first round bye.
The first place team in each conference will not play in the "Wild Card" round while each of the other division leaders will have a game. So, seven of the 16 teams (almost half) in each conference will make the play-offs.
It's almost-hockey (or basketball).

And I can remember when you had to "win your division" to be in the one "playoff game."

Though I would have preferred they just stick with six teams per conference in the playoffs I don't have a problem at all with wildcards. In this day and age where 8-8 or 9-7 teams can win their division it would be a ridiculous system to allow a 8-8 team that won their division when they played in an absolutely lousy one over a team that finished 11-5 or 12-4 and played in a great division.

If they were going to do away with wildcards than they should just do away with divisions at the same time.

[BD Sullivan]

Because God forbid they just give up the solen revenue from two worthless preseason games in which players go through the motions. After all, this is a league that's on the verge of financial collapse...

[StevenBrainerd]

Players contracts are still not 100% guaranteed unlike the other major sports.

[NWebster]

When does it go to 17?

[JWL]

When does it go to 17?

As early as the 2021 season.

[NWebster]

So the NFL has maintained its leaderboards for decades now through 12 game seasons and 14 game seasons and 16 game seasons. Eric Dickerson is the single season rushing record holder despite the fact that OJ ran for more yards per game. Do we think that the move to 17 will change it to more of an NCAA like approach where it's yards per game, touchdowns per game, etc.?

[JuggernautJ]

I remember watching a MNF game when OJ was broadcasting.
He suggested the NFL switch from Yards to Meters (the metric system) so as to preserve all the old records (in yards) while allowing for new records to be set.

Maybe it's time...


"4th Down and Centimeters to go!"