The NFL and NFLPA have been working hard at the negotiating table on a new collective bargaining agreement. The current CBA runs out after the 2020 season, making a new deal imperative for both the league and players to avoid a potential work stoppage.
Among the potential changes coming to the NFL is a change in the playoff format. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, a current proposal has the NFL playoffs expanding from six teams to seven and would begin as early as the 2020 season.
While the Baltimore Ravens had no trouble getting into the playoffs last season, earning the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a 14-2 record, they would have benefitted previously. Back in 2017, the Ravens finished seventh in the AFC with a 9-7 record, which under the new CBA proposal would have been enough to lock up a playoff spot.
However, the flip side is that last season would have seen the Pittsburgh Steelers slide into the postseason with an 8-8 record after losing to Baltimore’s backups in Week 17. With only one bye being proposed under the new CBA, the Steelers would have faced off against the No. 2 seed Kansas City Chiefs.
With the Ravens looking like the cream of the crop in the AFC for the near future, the expanded playoffs likely won’t have much effect on their chances. However, it could give them a lesser opponent in the first round and help them get on a roll.
Let us know what you think about the new proposed playoff rules.
The current CBA proposal would see the NFL playoffs expanded from 6 to 7 teams with only 1 bye per conference, per @AdamSchefter
Do you like the idea of a bigger playoff field in the NFL?
— MatthewStevens (@MatthewS_NFL) February 20, 2020
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