NFL owners will meet in New York City on Thursday and among the topics will be a new new collective bargaining agreement, which is inching closer to becoming a reality, essentially avoiding any potential lockout.
Among the expected changes in the new CBA, which could be agreed upon as early as next week, is an expanded playoff format that features seven teams from each conference getting in with only the No. 1 seed receiving a first-week bye.
If agreed upon, the expanded playoffs would begin immediately. It would also be the first change to the playoff format since 2002 when the Houston Texans joined the league and the NFL was split into eight four-team divisions. However, the six playoffs teams in each conference has been around since 1990.
As part of these proposed changes, players on the team that wins the No. 1 seed would also be paid for that first weekend despite enjoying a bye.
Additionally, the NFL and NFLPA are inching closer to expanding the regular season to 17 games and trimming the preseason to three games.
Unlike the new playoff format, expanding the regular season to 17 games wouldn’t be implemented until the 2021 season, allowing the league time to adjust to the upcoming changes.
What do you think about these proposed changes, Giants fans? Do you like the playoff expansion? Do you think that 17 regular season games is one too many?
