[NJRAMFAN1]

Per ProFootball Talk:

Last year, the NFL secured the ability to expand the regular season to 17 games. The league is moving closer to officially implementing a 17-game schedule for 2021.

Via Mark Maske of the Washington Post, expansion of the regular season is “not yet certain,” but it’s currently believed that the league will adjust the annual 20-game slate from 16 regular-season games and four preseason games to 17 and three.

Owners previously had been debating whether to move the preseason to three or to two games. Last year, the NFL had no preseason games, due to the pandemic. This year, the pandemic once again could limit or eliminate the slate of exhibition games.

As one source with knowledge of the dynamics recently explained it to PFT, the push to complete new TV deals has more to do with officially expanding the regular season to 17 games and less to do with potentially borrowing against future revenues to increase the 2021 salary cap.

The NFL has staged a total of 20-game preseason/regular season for decades. Before the regular season moved to 16 games in 1978, the NFL played 14 regular-season games and six preseason games. Keeping the preseason at three games keeps the total slate at 20.

Perhaps more importantly, a 17-and-three approach also ensures that teams will host 10 total games per year. The 17-game regular season will result in half of the teams having nine home games and the other half having eight. In turn, the half that has nine regular-season home games will have one preseason home game. The half that has eight regular-season homes games will have two preseason home games.

It’s also impossible to completely rule out what would be a sudden and largely unexpected push for 18 regular-season games and two preseason games. The league could, in theory, make that request to the NFL Players Association as part of the negotiations that will culminate in the setting of the 2021 salary cap. Likewise, the union could suggest a move to 18 in order to capture enhanced revenues, in 2021 and beyond.


It all about $$. There will be more injuries so hopefully they will expand the rosters.

Also if they add a second bye week if/when they go 18 games it will push the SB back a week and the next day would be Presidents Day thus giving most of us an automatic day off after the game.

[PARAM]

18 and 2? Color me ecstatic!!!

Those 2 preseason games won't see a guy making more than the league minimum.
The first 2 - 3 weeks of the season will be a Vegas windfall....who the hell can predict winners with no starters playing preseason?
And....there is slightly more room for error with 18 games over 16.
18 also makes more sense than 17......the NFL went from 10 games to 12, 12 to 14, 14 to 16....

More cap money = more money for players. Probably up the league minimum considerably too.

But more important, the Networks will get more for their increase in cost.

[majik]

Interesting take with the 18/2 as a chip to agree to borrow against future revenue for this year’s cap. I would think most players would be in favor given the short nature of NFL careers since many current players could see major pay cuts they might never recoup if the cap is at $185M and teams have to massively release or demand pay cuts from players. The top might not be impacted as much as the majority of players not making much. With a 18-week schedule, two bye weeks a must. Love the idea of the SB on Presidents’ Day weekend

[St. Loser Fan]

The NFL needs to not give two *bleeps* about NASCAR/the Daytona 500 and move the Super Bowl to President’s Day weekend.

[Elvis]

Speaking of the Daytona 500, its ratings have been going practically straight down for the last 7 years:

Daytona 500 ratings, viewership
YEAR WINNER NET RTG VWRS
2021 McDowell FOX 2.8 4.830M
2020* Hamlin FOX 4.4 7.330M
2019 Hamlin FOX 5.3 9.170M
2018 Dillon FOX 5.3 9.297M
2017 Ku. Busch FOX 6.6 11.922M
2016 Hamlin FOX 6.6 11.357M
2015 Logano FOX 7.7 13.363M

[PARAM]

The top might not be impacted as much as the majority of players not making much. With a 18-week schedule, two bye weeks a must. Love the idea of the SB on Presidents’ Day weekend

Yeah, "the top" won't be affected at all because it would simply be deferred to a future year(s) already part of the contract. And "the top" is what? 5%? 10% of the league? That means 90% of players stand to take a loss that won't be recuperated. Hell, yeah, I'll play 18!!!! I might make myself more money that way in the form of a future contract.

[St. Loser Fan]

Speaking of the Daytona 500, its ratings have been going practically straight down for the last 7 years:

Daytona 500 ratings, viewership
YEAR WINNER NET RTG VWRS
2021 McDowell FOX 2.8 4.830M
2020* Hamlin FOX 4.4 7.330M
2019 Hamlin FOX 5.3 9.170M
2018 Dillon FOX 5.3 9.297M
2017 Ku. Busch FOX 6.6 11.922M
2016 Hamlin FOX 6.6 11.357M
2015 Logano FOX 7.7 13.363M

If I’m the NFL I’m not fearing that any more as a ratings thief. Take President’s weekend at let NASCAR decide what they’re going to do.

[majik]

That is a lame excuse if that is what is being put out there, we don’t want to hurt NASCAR. The NFL doesn’t give a crap about anyone or anything but what is good for the NFL. I don’t follow car racing, but wasn’t Daytona always held in early March back in the 1970’s?