Skip to content

Ad Disclosure

Report: NFL to expand regular season for first time in over 4 decades

Dustin Schutte

By Dustin Schutte

Published:

NFL fans in favor of a longer regular season will get their wish.

According to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the league is expected to expand the regular season by one game, meaning each team would be 17 games moving forward. It is the first time since the league increased the number of regular season games since 1978.

Currently, NFL teams play 16 games during the regular season. Before the expanded regular season in 1978, teams played 14 contests in the regular season.

Schefter’s report did not mention whether or not the expanded regular season would result in a decreased number of preseason games in the NFL. Typically, teams will play four preseason contests. The 2020 preseason was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Expanding the regular season has been a topic of conversation over the past few years, but it appears the league is ready to make the move.

Dustin Schutte

Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB