By CJ Lester
SteelerNation.com
The Pittsburgh Steelers would have made the playoffs under the new NFL CBA Proposal! According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the NFLPA and the NFL owners are discussing a new CBA that would extend the NFL regular season to 17 games and it would add one more playoff team to each conference. There would be a total of 14 teams in the playoffs with only the number 1 seed in each conference getting a first-round bye. Of course, there are going to be hurdles to get the 17-game regular season approved, but it could happen. We will just have to wait and see. The talks are expected to continue this week discussing possible changes. The negotiations between the NFLPA reps and the NFL owners are on-going.
The 7 teams per conference playoff structure would go into effect next post season, while the extension of the regular season would have to wait until the following league year of 2021. This is all if the new CBA is agreed upon by the NFLPA and the owners.
The new playoff format would have been quite interesting if it would have come to fruition this past season. It would have definitely impacted the Steelers season. The Steelers would have made the playoffs and would have visited the Kansas City Chiefs. Yes, this would have meant that the Baltimore Ravens would have been the only team in the AFC with a first-round bye. To sweeten the incentive of earning the first-round bye, the players on the number 1 seeded team would also receive a week of pay without having to actually play a game.
Look for talks to heat up as we inch closer to the NFL Combine in a week!
Do you like the new playoff format and the extension of the regular season in the new CBA proposal? Let us know in the comments below!
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