NFL Approves Contingency Playoff Expansion, Incentives For Developing Minority Candidates

On Tuesday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced that the league has unanimously approved a contingency plan to expand the playoff field from 14 to 16 teams if meaningful games are canceled because of COVID-19. However, these teams would not be re-seed.

Goodell said that the goal is still to have all teams complete a full schedule in 17 weeks and play the Super Bowl — with fans in the stands — on Feb. 7 in Tampa Bay. 

The NFL also approved a proposal to reward teams for developing minority coaches and front office executives who become head coaches and GMs elsewhere.

The NFLPA will still need to rule on the proposal. 

The resolution states a team that loses a minority candidate that had been with the team for at least two years would receive third-round compensatory picks in the next two years, according to reports from last week.  

For example, if Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy were to be hired as a head coach this offseason, the Chiefs would receive third-round comp picks in 2021 and 2022. 

Prior reports mentioned that if a team has candidates hired to both head coaching and general manager positions, even on different teams, the team losing them would receive third-round compensatory picks each of the next three years. 

There is no incentive for teams who hire minority candidates in terms of receiving compensatory draft picks.