The NFL is inching nearer and nearer to an expanded schedule, which can probably imply an 18th recreation is coming within the not-so-distant future.
In an April interview with ESPN’s Pat McAfee, commissioner Roger Goodell mentioned the dialog surrounding an additional recreation has already begun.
“If we received to 18 (common season) and a couple of (preseason video games), that’s not an unreasonable factor,” Goodell mentioned. “The opposite factor it does, [Super Bowl Sunday] ends on up Presidents’ Day weekend, which is a three-day weekend, which makes it Sunday night time after which you might have Monday off.”
When the league moved from 16 video games to 17 in 2021, it gave the homeowners some leeway in making an attempt to push for 18. Nonetheless, the gamers pushed again and a compromise of 17 was agreed upon. However it’s solely a matter of time earlier than 18 is the brand new norm.
As soon as once more, if the league provides one other recreation, the gamers will want some kind of compromise. There’s already pushback from gamers saying {that a} 17-game schedule is grueling sufficient, so some modifications should be made if and when the league provides one other recreation.
The NFL may get inventive when increasing to 18 video games, so listed here are 3 ways the league’s schedule can change by including a further contest:
Labor Day Weekend Kickoff
Clearly, every week or two should be added with a purpose to develop the schedule, and the simplest method is by beginning the season every week earlier.
Let’s take this 12 months’s calendar for instance: Labor Day is Sept. 2 on a Monday. However with a giant kickoff weekend, let’s stretch this out as a lot as potential and get groups on nationwide TV.
We will begin with the annual Thursday night time kickoff on Aug. 29 between the defending Tremendous Bowl champions internet hosting an opponent of intrigue. Then, as seen with this 12 months’s Friday night time kickoff recreation, this turns into extra of a weekend.
Saturday is for faculty soccer, as at all times. So the NFL takes a relaxation.
There are 14 remaining video games up for grabs for Sunday and Monday, however these video games can and ought to be unfold out as a lot as potential. Let’s have a mere 4 video games on within the early window, two video games late, one for CBS and one other for FOX, and a Sunday Evening Soccer matchup on NBC in primetime.
After which, let’s repeat that on Monday. In any case, it’s a vacation, so soccer ought to be a part of it.
This offers every fan base an opportunity to not solely see their crew on in a (principally) uninterrupted setting, but it surely offers the nationwide base an opportunity to see a bunch of video games to kick off the season when there already is the added anticipation from preseason and coaching camp.
Add a second bye for all groups
Earlier than 2002 when the NFL had 31 groups, it was customary for groups to have a number of bye weeks. In order that also needs to be the case if the league provides yet another recreation.
Groups ought to have a bye in October throughout Weeks 7-10, and one other in December between Weeks 13-17.
In every bye week, two divisions, one from the AFC and one from the NFC, will all be completely off. Then they may every play a division rival the next week. It will get rid of any benefit with every crew coming off a bye, and it additionally permits these groups to be as wholesome as potential going right into a divisional matchup.
With two bye weeks and 18 video games, this implies there will probably be 20 weeks of play through the common season. The ultimate week of video games would happen on the third Sunday of January.
President’s Day Weekend Turns into Tremendous Bowl Weekend
Yearly, staff say that Tremendous Bowl Monday ought to be a vacation, and this schedule change would (type of) make {that a} factor — at the very least for individuals who don’t need to work on President’s Day.
If the playoffs didn’t begin till the tip of January, we’re Convention Championships going into February and the Tremendous Bowl would happen two weeks in a while the Sunday of President’s Day Weekend.
Maybe a schedule change like this might transfer the nation one step nearer to formally making Tremendous Bowl Monday a nationwide vacation.
