The NFL and its Players Association recently came to an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement beginning with the 2020 season, and there will be some significant changes.
One of the big changes that will be ushered in in the coming years will be the addition of a 17th regular-season game, with the preseason going from four to three games.
In exchange, the players will be getting better health benefits as well as extra roster spots, which in turn is more money in their pockets.
One other change that was discussed was the expansion of the postseason from 12 to 14 teams. Under that change, there would be three Wild Card teams in each conference to make the playoffs and only the top team in the AFC and NFC, respectively, would receiver first-round byes.
The NFL owners voted on that change on Tuesday, and they approved it, so the postseason will be expanded beginning with the upcoming 2020 season, via Adam Schefter of ESPN:
Wild Card Weekend for the 2020 NFL season now will consist of three games on Saturday, January 9, and three games on Sunday, January 10, 2021. pic.twitter.com/UsZrrbDj1j
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 31, 2020
One team that would have benefitted from this change had it been in place in 2019 was the Los Angeles Rams as they finished 9-7, good for seventh place in the NFC. Instead of facing the three-seeded New Orleans Saints in the first round, they missed the postseason altogether.
Playing in the strong NFC West, this new system can only benefit the Rams moving forward so head coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead have to be excited about this being put into motion this upcoming season.
