SB62 Date TBA. Due to potential 18 game schedule

The Den
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The date posted in some places is “expected date” (traditionally the weekend before presidents day) however the NFL has yet to announce the official date. Which is very unusual being only 23 months away.

Earlier at an owners meeting, it was discussed that the NFL would like to buy out the remaining CBA and TV contracts to set up the new schedule instead of waiting till after the 2030 season.

The new schedule would include

2 preseason games

18 regular season games

2 bye weeks

And international games every week from week 1 through week 16.

And we have also heard rumors of more Wednesday night games.

The NFLPA just got a new Director. And former Lion JRM is still the players president after being re elected. Now both are in place. Negotiations are surely happening

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Go back to 16 games, preferably 14. Less is more!

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I agree with you, but that doesn’t apply to money. And that’s all that really matters up top.

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You crazy!

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Oh I know. Cash and the potential for more cash is all that matters unfortunately. But I can dream! Haha

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6

Expand rosters and also game day rosters.

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The problem with expanding the rosters is there’s barely enough talent now to fill 32 team 53 man rosters so it just gets worse. Saw this with the Lions the last couple seasons when we were on PS guys having to start. How many teams are screwed if their starting LT goes down? QB? Now there will be 18 games, more injuries, more backups playing, and it gets watered down pretty quick, more than it is already. Same thing has happened in the NHL.

Hypothetically if they went back to a 14 game schedule from the 17 games we have now, over the course of 5 seasons that would be one less season of games a player would play, and players could have longer careers, not to mention games would be more important and competitive week to week. What’s one reason gambling was allowed? To make the games interesting and engage an audience because otherwise they are terrible!

Alas, anyway, maybe in an alternate reality, but not this one. I’ll go take my nap…

Grampa Simpson Grandpa GIF by MOODMAN

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With an 18 game schedule teams that are sure to make the playoffs will rest players from weeks 16 - 18 so you’re going to see some “preseason” games at the end of the season.

Quality of product will go down but the owners will be making more $$$.

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Quality rant buddy!
farley-chris-farley

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I heard somewhere that the compromise on going to an 18 game scheduled would be that each player would only have to play 17 games… So they could stagger sitting every player throughout the season

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NBA style “load management”

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Absolutely can’t stand that. Imagine being a kid going to a game for the first time and your favorite player is not playing cause it’s a rest day when he’s completely healthy.

Comedy Central What GIF by The Jim Jefferies Show

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And I’m in a very good mood today, really! It’s 50 degrees here so I mean this is basically Matt Patricia shorts season!

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50 degrees you say… It’s almost Canadian summer! :laughing:

Coverage Speedo GIF by mintmobile

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Maybe even a bit too humid and time for some AC for some Canadians… like Winnipeg maybe

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If players are willing to give up and play 18.. then the teams need to expand the players union by increasing roster size. Make the practice squad size be added to active roster. Its crazy that with today’s concussion protocols that teams only have 1 guy per most positions as backups. It will also get more players to make it to a vested retirement as a nfl player and might extend some guys careers.

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This can work. The extra bye week is HUGE. Now, if they figure out giving them a week off before the playoffs…

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I do think this can work, but some changes really need to be worked out.

  1. Kiss the preseason games goodbye. Joint practices replace them. Already happening with many teams so I am ok with this.
  2. Extra bye weeks. I would urge that each team gets 3. I would suggest that the bye weeks rest 1/2 of the teams in one week and the other 1/2 the following week. Something like weeks 4-5 or 5-6; 9-10 or 10-11; and 14-15 or 15-16. This will add new challenges for fantasy players, but we are talking the real game here.
  3. Get serious about protecting lineman, both sides of the ball. We have made efforts to over-protect QBs, protect defenseless receivers, leading with the helmet (again, both sides), but the linemen are colliding every play (yes, blindside block protection) but the game is much better when your lines are healthy.

I am sure that the Den readers have many other ideas to improve the product. But these ideas are just a start.

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I think it will start with just 2 bye weeks. However, I could easily see the NFL going to three thus stretching this season even further. But that third bye week would likely be just at the end of the season before the playoffs.

Preseason will just become two games. Most teams already don’t take it seriously and use joint practices.

You’re still gonna have some preseason in one way or another just to get those real world reps.

So really you’re only stretching out this season by one week with the extra buy because they’re just replacing a preseason game with a regular season game.

What absolutely needs to happen is increasing roster sizes.

I don’t think you will see the active limit or contract limit increase that much (48 & 53)

Maybe to something along the lines of increasing the PS squad size. And increasing the number of elevations.

something like

56 Roster

50 Game day Active

20 Practice Squad (with up to 8 veterans)

3 game day elevations (4 if one is a QB)

4 total elevations per player in season allowed before needing to clear waivers

10 IR elevations. (14 for playoffs)

So not a MAJOR change. But big enough to help make a difference.

Thats 96 more contracts.

And 64 more vets and 64 more young guys on practice squads.

So extending the season. Adding extra games. Would add about 4.5% more revenue meaning the cap would also go up 4.5%. (Salary cap is around 50% of league revenue)

So next year (normal increase of 7.5%)

$301.2 to $323.8m

Add the extra 4.5%

$338.3m (around $14.5m additional)

so figure thats $4.5m each for 3 roster players and $1m for elevations.

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