NEW YORK — In a virtual league meeting on Tuesday, the National Football League approved the addition of a 17th game to the regular season and removal of one preseason game starting in 2021.
“This is a monumental moment in NFL history,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said. “The CBA with the players and the recently completed media agreements provide the foundation for us to enhance the quality of the NFL experience for our fans.”
The addition of a 17th game will extend the season to 18 weeks to account for bye weeks, as well as push the Super Bowl back one week.
The decision comes after the collective bargaining agreement was ratified at the beginning of 2020.
According to the NFL, the additional game will feature AFC vs. NFC teams that finished in the same place within their division the previous season.
| Washington Football Team at Buffalo Bills | New York Giants at Miami Dolphins |
| Dallas Cowboys at New England Patriots | Philadelphia Eagle at New York Jets |
| Seattle Seahawks at Pittsburgh Steelers | Los Angeles Rams at Baltimore Ravens |
| Arizona Cardinals at Cleveland Browns | San Francisco 49ers at Cincinnati Bengals |
| New Orleans Saints at Tennessee Titans | Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Indianapolis Colts |
| Carolina Panthers at Houston Texans | Atlanta Falcons at Jacksonville Jaguars |
| Green Bay Packers at Kansas City Chiefs | Chicago Bears at Las Vegas Raiders |
| Minnesota Vikings at Los Angeles Chargers | Detroit Lions at Denver Broncos |
The AFC West will be matched up with the NFC North setting up a Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers matchup for the first time at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. The only other time the teams faced each other while Mahomes’ was in the league, he did not play due to injury.
Along with the added game, all 32 teams will play internationally at least once every eight years starting in 2022. The NFL’s focus on expanding the league internationally includes Canada, Mexico, Europe, South America and the United Kingdom.
