NFL Expected To Change Playoff Structure To Include 7 Teams From Each Conference

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the NFL playoff structure is about to be changed as part of the current CBA proposal.

According to Schefter, seven teams from each conference will make the playoffs with only team getting a bye per conference. Schefter says this change would go into effect for the 2020 season.

“That’s been agreed to for a long time,” a source familiar with the CBA talks tells Schefter about the NFL’s new playoff structure. “There wasn’t a lot of disagreement to that issue.”

The current proposal would pay players on the teams that earn a first-round bye for that weekend, which is not the case under the current CBA.

The idea of adding a seventh team in the AFC and NFC playoffs was first floated a few years ago, as another way to expand TV revenue. 

The NFL and NFLPA are still working some details for a new CBA, but indications are that the two parties are at least making progress on a deal that would expand the regular season to 17 games, which would take effect at some point between 2021-2023. 

Schefter says there’s “mounting optimism” a new CBA could be done sometime in the next week.

“The new CBA’s not done, there’s no term sheet yet, there still are issues being negotiated, but I’d be very surprised if there’s not a new CBA for the new league year,” a source tells Schefter.

We’ll have more regarding playoff changes and the CBA negotiations as the news is available.