Is the NFL Really Playing 17 Games This Year?

This year, the NFL is scheduled to play 17 regular season games instead of the usual 16. Is this a good idea? Some people think so, while others are concerned about player safety. What do you think?

Introduction

It was reported earlier this week that the NFL is planning to add a 17th game to the regular season schedule, pending approval from the NFL Players Association. The proposed change would take effect as early as the 2021 season.

This news has been met with mixed reactions from fans and analysts alike. Some believe that the additional game will simply add more revenue for the league, while others think it will lead to even more injuries for players. There are pros and cons to this potential change, so let’s take a closer look at them.

The History of the NFL

professional football began in 1892 when Pennsylvania Allegheny Athletic Association’s team defeated the Pittsburgh Athletic Club. Allegheny joined the Western Pennsylvania Professional Football Circuit in 1896. In 1903, the first professional football championship was held when the WPC’s Pittsburgh Stars defeated the Allegheny Athletic Association’s Pros, 11-0.

The first attempt at a pro league occurred in 1902 when all of the major Western Pennsylvania clubs got together and formed the National Football League. However, that league only lasted one season. A decade later, in 1912, another pro league was formed called the American Professional Football Association. This league would eventually be renamed the National Football League as we know it today.

The Current Structure of the NFL

The National Football League (NFL) is the largest and most popular professional American football league, consisting of 32 teams divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL was formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) before renaming itself the National Football League for the 1922 season. The NFL agreed to merge with the American Football League (AFL) in 1966, creating the Super Bowl, which has become the biggest annual sporting event in the United States.

The NFL schedule currently consists of 16 regular season games for each team, 4 preseason games, and up to 3 playoff games. However, with the recent news that the league is considering expanding the regular season to 17 games, some fans are wondering if this will affect the postseason and how many teams will make it to the playoffs.

Currently, 12 teams make it to the NFL playoffs: 6 from each conference. The 4 division winners from each conference automatically qualify for the playoffs, as well as 2 wild card teams from each conference (the 2 non-division winners with the best records). These 8 teams are then seeded 1-8 based on their record, with division winners being seeded 1-4 and wild card teams being seeded 5-8. The playoff bracket is then set up so that #1 seed hosts #8 seed, #2 seed hosts #7 seed, #3 seed hosts #6 seed, and #4 seed hosts #5 seed in what are called Wild Card Weekend games. The winners of these 4 games then advance to face off against each other in Divisional Playoff games (#1 seed vs lowest remaining seed, etc), with those winners advancing to Conference Championship games and finally the Super Bowl.

If 17 regular season games are added to the schedule without any other changes, it is likely that there would still be 12 playoff teams but that an additional game would be played on Wild Card Weekend . This would mean that there would be 3 first-round playoff games played on Saturday and 3 more on Sunday instead of 4 on each day , as there are currently . It is unclear at this time how exactly this would affect television ratings or fan interest , but it is something that will likely be taken into consideration by league officials .

The Proposed Change to the NFL

The NFL has been discussing the possibility of expanding the regular season from 16 to 17 games for quite some time now. The league’s current broadcast partners, CBS, Fox, and NBC are all on board with the change and are said to be willing to pay an additional $500 million per year for the extra game. The NFL is also said to be considering adding a second bye week for each team.

The main sticking point right now is how to divide up the extra $500 million in broadcast revenue. The league is said to be leaning towards giving each team an equal share of the extra money, but some owners are pushing for a larger share for teams that would be featured more often in prime-time games.

No matter how the money is divided up, it seems likely that the NFL will add an extra game to the regular season schedule at some point in the near future.

The Pros and Cons of the Change

The 2021 NFL season is set to be an unusual one, as the league has approved a plan to add an extra game to the schedule. The regular season will now be 17 weeks long, with each team playing 16 games and having one bye week.

This change has caused a lot of debate, with some people arguing that it will lead to more injuries and wear and tear on players, while others believe that it will make the season more exciting and increase revenues.

So, what are the pros and cons of this change? Let’s take a look.

Pros:
-More Exciting: A longer season means more games to enjoy and more opportunities for teams to make a comeback.
-Increased Revenues: The NFL is a business, and this change is likely to generate more money for the league and its teams.

Cons:
-More Injuries: With more games comes more chances for players to get hurt. This could lead to a decline in the quality of play as teams are forced to field less experienced players.
-Less Rest for Players: The extra game means that players will have less time to rest and recover between games, which could lead to more fatigue and injuries.

Conclusion

It appears that the NFL is indeed playing 17 games this year. This is a significant change from the traditional 16 game format, and it will be interesting to see how it affects the league. It is possible that this could lead to more injuries, as players will be asked to play more games in a shorter amount of time. However, it is also possible that this could lead to more competitive games, as teams will have to play each other more often. Only time will tell how this change will affect the NFL.