Next season’s NFL playoffs could look a whole lot different.
According to an ESPN report, a new collective bargaining agreement, expected to be finished in the next week, would bring changes to the league’s postseason format in 2020.
Instead of the current six teams per conference making the playoffs — with two earning first-round byes — the proposed update from the owners’ side would see seven teams from each conference make it, with only one receiving a week off.
“That’s been agreed to for a long time,” a source told ESPN. “There wasn’t a lot of disagreement to that issue.”
Wild-card weekend would feature six games, with three apiece on Saturday and Sunday. The Steelers and Rams, who just missed out on the 2019 festivities, would have played at least one more weekend under the proposed format.
Players who earned a bye week would get paid, which doesn’t occur under the current CBA.
The biggest hurdle in completing the new agreement is getting the players to agree to a 17-game schedule, which wouldn’t kick in until at least 2021. Initially the players’ response to the extra regular-season game was cold, though concessions from the owners — shortening preseason from four games to three, increased revenue shares, drug and discipline policy updates and higher minimum salaries — have reportedly eased tensions.
Team owners and players are holding separate meetings this week about the CBA negotiations, with the sides hoping to have it finished for the start of the 2020 league year, March 18.
Two-thirds of NFL player representatives would have to approve the deal for it to move on to a league-wide vote, in which a simple majority would approve it.
The change comes not long after MLB’s possible postseason changes — expanding the field in each league from five to seven teams with the top seeds receiving byes and second-places squads picking their first-round opponents — made news. Both leagues would be giving more playoff content to their TV partners.
While nothing is done yet, ESPN’s source would “be very surprised if there’s not a new CBA for the new league year.”