For the first time since 1978, the NFL regular season is expanding. Starting in 2021, all 32 teams will play 17 games, meaning everything from final records to yearly statistics to late-season wear and tear will be different. But which of the 32 teams benefit most -- or least -- from this year's expansion?
The annual NFL Owners Meeting is taking place this week, and this year it focused mainly on business topics, leaving the rule changes until they meet again in mid-April. One of the top items covered was the expansion of the regular season schedule, with owners voting to expand to a 17-game regular season schedule, adding one from the 16-game schedule that has been the norm since 1978.
As is perennially the case, there's still solid veteran talent left on the open market as the calendar turns to April. One such example is cornerback Jason McCourty, who continues to wait for the right situation before deciding where he'll play next.
There was never any doubt the NFL would grow its regular-season schedule to 17 games once the labor agreement with the players union was reached a year ago. More games, more money and more flexibility for America's most popular sport.
Would you believe me if I told you that one of the most intriguing tight end prospects in the 2021 NFL Draft -- arguably one of the most fascinating draftees regardless of position -- never caught footballs in games with any regularity until his senior year in tiny Webb City, Missouri?
We all know the 49ers are selecting a quarterback at No. 3 overall -- but which one? That is the question in the draft community this week. I think it's going to be Ohio State's Justin Fields. Some think it'll be Alabama's Mac Jones. Others believe the trade up was for North Dakota State's Trey Lance.
The San Francisco 49ers draft will be remembered for who they select at No. 3 overall. Believe it or not, they have more than one pick in this upcoming NFL Draft. Dee Ford is an afterthought, based on John Lynch's comments this past Monday.
The National Football League announced Tuesday it will add a game and start playing a 17-game regular season beginning this fall. Augmenting the 16-game season, which itself replaced the 14-game schedule 43 years ago, has been a topic of discussion in the league for decades, and more seriously so of late.
Owners on Tuesday approved the expansion of the regular season from 16 games to 17 games beginning in 2021. The preseason schedule will be reduced from four games to three, the NFL said.
With 2021 NFL free agency winding down, we are looking back on what went down and looking forward to what's ahead.
The entire landscape of the NFL's offseason activities remains undetermined, but the league took an initial step toward that effort Tuesday. The league informed clubs they can begin Phase One of the offseason workout program on April 19, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported.
6:55 AM ET Mel Kiper Jr.Football analyst Close Mel Kiper has served as an NFL draft analyst for ESPN since 1984. He is a regular contributor on SportsCenter and ESPN Radio and writes weekly for ESPN Insider. Let's update rankings for the 2021 NFL draft.
Heading into the 2021 NFL draft, players must rely on an entirely different set of criteria while making their cases to professional teams...
A 17-game regular season in the NFL has been coming for a while now, and it has finally been made official. This has been inevitable ever since it was included in the Collective Bargaining Agreement that was ratified last March.
The Carolina Panthers are slotted to pick at No. 8 overall in next month's NFL draft. Moving up to get a quarterback is a good idea. However, they can still get a special talent even if they stay put. In fact, the Panthers have already landed two franchise legends with the eighth pick.
Full disclosure: I broke my kneecap and tore a bunch of tendons back in January. This means I have been stuck at home in a wheelchair unable to really walk, shower, climb stairs, drive, etc. since the weekend of the AFC Championship game. This also means I have had a lot of time to sit and think.
The NFL Draft isn't always an easy place to look through the telescope of an NFL franchise's future. For example, a good number of Buffalo Bills fans completely freaked out when their team selected quarterback Josh Allen with the seventh overall pick in 2018.
The start of the new league year is typically a busy season for the business of football, and this March was no different. The league has been significantly affected by new TV contracts, the trend of voidable contract years and more.
If there's one team picking in the top five of the NFL draft this year that definitely WON'T be taking a quarterback, it's the Cincinnati Bengals, which instantly makes them one of the most intriguing teams heading into the NFL's biggest offseason event.
The San Francisco 49ers' trade to acquire the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft raises some fascinating possibilities. Most likely, the 49ers moved up to take a quarterback. That could lead to three quarterbacks being drafted in the first three picks, which has happened only twice in NFL history.