Yesterday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote an article saying that the NFL is considering making changes to their preseason, regular season, and postseason schedules. The changes would reduce the preseason to three games, extend the regular season to 17 games, add another team in each league to the playoffs, and eliminate the first-round bye for the no. 2 seeds. Apparently since the NBA (new All-Star game format) and MLB (new postseason format) have made changes to their seasons, the NFL thought they would join in on the fun, so they don’t feel left out. I think I could’ve taken one, maybe two changes across the four major American sports leagues…but THREE?? There just isn’t enough space in my ol’ noggin to wrap my head around another revised season format. Is this a good idea? Let’s discuss.
I am in favor of a longer NFL season
And the players should be too. What I didn’t mention in the first paragraph, but is in Schefter’s article, is that the players will benefit significantly from a monetary standpoint if the season is lengthened.
As part of the deal now on the table, players would go from a 47% revenue share under the current deal to 48% share at 16 games, and then to a 48.5% share if they go to 17 games, shifting $5 billion of revenue to the players’ side.
This 1.5% increase in revenue share doesn’t seem like much to the naked eye, but considering how wealthy the NFL is, that’s how it translates into an extra $5 billion to the players…or 3.7% of Jeff Bezos’ net worth.
Now that the players are on board, this shouldn’t be an issue for fans. More football is always better than less football (at least during the regular season). Case closed.
Is another Wild Card team what we need?
If this system were in play for the 2019-2020 NFL season, the Rams and Steelers would have made the playoffs. That’s right. The 9-7 Rams and the 8-8, Duck Hodges-led Steelers would have been the no. 7 seeds last year. That just doesn’t seem right. There’s already such a significant gap in talent between the no. 1 and no. 6 seeds, that adding an even worse team into the mix would be embarrassing.
Additionally, another playoff team means that only one team would get a bye (odd numbers!). So, as if the no. 1 seed didn’t already have a huge advantage, now they’ll be the only well-rested team in their conference’s championship, plus they’ll have home-field advantage! Not that it’ll be given to them, but it makes the road to the Big Game a whole hell of a lot easier.
Thank God they’re shortening the Preseason
The preseason is mostly used as a way to try out players that are clamoring for those last few roster spots. The starters barely play because a preseason game is not worth them getting hurt over, which several teams can agree with. Plus people have been calling for the preseason to be shortened for a while now, so everyone’s happy this has finally come to fruition.
All in all, I like two out of the three changes the NFL is proposing. It doesn’t make sense to have half of the league in the playoffs, as the talent drops off so significantly with those later seeds that I’m sure even fan bases would rather have their season be over than to drag out the inevitable for another week. Only two no. 6 seeds have ever won the Super Bowl, so it’s not like by adding in a no. 7 seed they’re denying too many other “teams of destiny”. But, as I said earlier…more football is better than less football, and six wild card games the first weekend of the playoffs would be absolutely electric. I remain conflicted as ever.
