NFL approves postseason expansion contingency plan
NFL owners on Tuesday unanimously approved a contingency plan to expand the postseason field from 14 teams to 16 teams if the regular season cannot be completed in 17 or 18 weeks, according to the MMQB’s Albert Breer.
As Breer noted on Monday, the alternative plan would include the normal postseason format plus two additional teams. It would reportedly use a modified seeding system based solely on winning percentage, and no teams would be granted a bye week if the contingency plan goes into effect.
The NFL already expanded its postseason field from 12 teams to 14 teams prior to this season. In its current format, seven teams from each conference make the postseason with the top seed from each conference earning a bye on wild card weekend.
The NFL has already canceled the Pro Bowl, and while it still plans to hold the Super Bowl on Feb. 7, the league is reportedly planning for a 20% seating capacity.