The NFL has officially ratified a major change to their season. Owners voted by phone Tuesday to approve a 14-team playoff bracket starting with this upcoming season, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).
We heard Monday that this was the expected outcome. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweeted out a release from the league with a full breakdown of the new postseason schedule. An extra team from each conference is getting a wild-card berth, and only one team from each conference will now earn a first-round bye. Wild Card Weekend will now have six games instead of four, with three each on Saturday and Sunday.
Each division winner that isn’t the top seed in their conference will host a game on Wild Card Weekend. The NFL has used the 12-team playoff format for the past 30 years. The elimination of one bye might be even more significant than the extra team getting in. Since 2012 when the Ravens did it, no team has made it to the Super Bowl without having a bye.
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Originally posted on Pro Football Rumors By Andrew Ortenberg | Last updated 3/31/20
