The NFL owners have reportedly voted to approve Thursday Night Football flex scheduling, but only a handful of games could be affected by the change for the 2023 NFL season. Among the games that could potentially be flexed, the Thursday Night Football matchup between the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers might have the best chance of staying put.
According to the NFL's rules regarding Thursday Night Football flex schedule, only games that are set to be played from Weeks 13-17 can be flexed. The Patriots-Steelers game is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 7 in Week 14 in Pittsburgh. No more than two Thursday games are allowed to be flexed in one season.
The first Thursday Night Football game that can be flexed out of the primetime slot is the Week 13 matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks. The Las Vegas Raiders are scheduled to host the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football in Week 15. The Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints are the Week 16 Thursday Night game. In Week 17, it'll be the Cleveland Browns hosting the New York Jets.
The flex schedule allows the NFL to replace the originally scheduled game with a more intriguing matchup. The new rule was implemented to boost Thursday night ratings on Amazon Prime Video. Considering the Patriots and Steelers are two of the league's marquee teams, there's a good chance that Amazon will want to keep New England and Pittsburgh on its broadcast.
Both the Patriots and Steelers missed the playoffs last year. Recent history suggests that neither team will be well below average in 2023.
The Patriots Went 8-9 last season after a trip to the playoffs in the 2021 season. Since 2001, the Patriots have never finished more than two games below .500. It's been 20 years since the Steelers last had a losing season.
The teams will need at least 28 days' notice if they're going to be flexed off the Thursday night schedule.
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