NFL news: League explores changes to playoff system if regular season games are lost to COVID-19

The NFL has already had to postpone a few games due to the COVID-19 pandemic that's currently affecting the nation. It is exploring playoff reform.

The NFL has already had to postpone a few games due to the COVID-19 pandemic that's currently affecting the nation. While the games have been able to remain on schedule at simply a later date, the league front office will be exploring the possibility of tinkering with the current playoff format in the event that the ongoing pandemic causes games to be canceled, according to ESPN's Chris Mortensen.

NFL competition committee expects to present a resolution to owners based on a contingency of having a 16-team playoff season (8 in each conference) if games are lost due to the pandemic, especially as bye weeks disappear, according to league sources. Committee met by zoom today.

— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) November 2, 2020

The current NFL playoff format consists of 14 teams, a recent change to the 12-team format prior to the 2020 season. Having 16 teams in place ensures a greater state of equality across the board for most teams that may feel slighted in the future due to canceled games.

The NFL has already seen an absurd amount of positive COVID-19 tests since the 2020-21 season commenced. Teams such as the Tennessee Titans and the New England Patriots have been a couple of clubs to find themselves in deep waters with the virus.

The major downfall for the NFL was their failure in adapting a bubble-like system for players, which has led to the league's current state. Even certain leagues such as the NBA had positive experiences with the Disney bubble, which concluded with no players testing positive during their stay.

While commissioner Roger Goodell had previously stated earlier in October that the league “can't grow complacent” when it comes to upholding the safety standards set forth by the league office, it seems that his wishes weren't heard by the entire league, with multiple COVID-19 violations spanning throughout the first eight weeks of play.

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