Roger Goodell: 'It Wouldn't Surprise Me at All' If NFL Flexes TNF Games in Future

Thursday night games might be getting a little more complicated for players and teams.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters on Wednesday "it wouldn't surprise me at all" if Thursday Night Football had flex scheduling in the future, similar to primetime games on Sunday nights.

"Not today, but it'll certainly be something that's on our horizon," Goodell added of Thursday Night Football flex scheduling.

It's a logical progression from the league office side, given that Monday Night Football will have flex scheduling for the first time in 2023.

The way flex scheduling has worked for Sunday Night Football since 2006 is that between Weeks 5-10, the SNF broadcaster—currently NBC—can change its scheduled game to a preferred matchup twice. It then can do so each week, if desired, between Weeks 11-18.

Only Sunday games may be moved to Sunday night, and Sunday broadcasters—currently Fox and CBS—can also switch matchups between the early and later windows. Under that system, games on Thursday, Saturday or Monday could not be flexed.

But that is changing for Monday Night Football, and it sounds as though Thursday Night Football will be following suit down the road.

It's hard to imagine teams and players being thrilled with the possibility of being flexed into additional Thursday games, given the brief turnaround time and condensed preparation schedule in a short week. One of the concerns of adding Thursday games in the first place was that it was more of an injury risk for players, given a short week gave them less time for much-needed rest.

Now, teams with primetime appeal could find themselves facing such a scenario more often. It's hard to imagine that going over well.