NFL Owners Approve 17-Game Regular Season

NFL fans will soon get an extra week to cheer on their teams as the league's owners approved expanding the regular season to 17 games.

The NFL Network's Mike Garafolo shared the news, and a press release distributed by the NFL stated that the change is expected to take effect for the 2021 season. Teams will play three preseason games to accommodate the extra regular-season game.

It was almost a foregone conclusion that the league would move in this direction once this option was inserted into the 2020 NFL-NFLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement. The 17th game will match two teams from opposing conferences that finished the previous season in the same place within their division.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell released a statement highlighting what the decision would mean for the league.

This is a monumental moment in NFL history. 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. And one of the benefits of each team playing 17 regular-season games is the ability for us to continue to grow our game around the world.

- Roger Goodell

It'll be interesting to see if the additional game will also result in an additional week in fantasy football leagues. Be sure to head over to FanDuel Sportsbook for your full NFL experience, including Super Bowl futures, player props, and same-game parlays.

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