NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell clearly wants to expand the playoff field from 12 to 14 teams. Ultimately, however, it’s not Goodell’s call.
All rule changes require 24 of 32 owners to vote for the move. According to Mark Maske of the Washington Post, it’s unclear whether enough support an expansion of the playoff field.
“Until we have a discussion on it on the floor, it’s hard to say,” Giants co-owner John Mara told Maske. “You need 24 votes in this league. Is there enough support? It’s hard to say. I have mixed feelings on it. I’ve always been opposed. One of my concerns is when do you play the games. I think there are some issues there. I’m also concerned about watering the playoffs down. But I’m still willing to listen to the other side.”
Goodell has suggested playing the two extra wild-card games on Friday night and Monday night. Some (like us) may prefer the current Saturday doubleheader, a Sunday Thanksgiving-style tripleheader, and the final game of wild-card weekend on a Monday night.
Regardless of the specific format, Goodell wouldn’t be going public with the proposal if he didn’t believe it was viable. Packers CEO Mark Murphy already has spoken out in favor of the move, which would allow the NFL to reduce the preseason by a week and recoup the lost revenue — and then some.