Report: NFL to Add 17th Game to 2021 Schedule; Salary Cap to Drop Significantly

Signs are pointing toward the addition of a 17th regular-season game as early as 2021, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport.

They spoke to a team source who said those around the league are "all anticipating it's going to happen."

Pelissero and Rapoport explained how an additional week would make up for some of the revenue lost because of the COVID-19 pandemic:

"The cap is still likely to drop significantly in 2021, per sources, but the 17th game as part of a new media deal could boost it above that $175 million floor. The union's share of all revenue already was set to bump up from 47 percent to 48 percent in 2021, and the move to 17 games with a new media deal triggers a 'media kicker' on top of it that further increases players' share."

A $175 million salary cap would be a significant decline from the $198.2 million cap in 2020. The Athletic's Bill Shea wrote about one study in November that projected the NFL to have a $2.7 billion deficit just from the absence of fans at games.

In March, the NFL Players Association voted 1,019-959 in favor of a collective bargaining agreement that allowed the league to extend the season by one week.

The MMQB's Albert Breer reported in February that some players were "leery about the idea of extending their season—creating another set of car crashes in a system that already called for 16 of them." With the passage of the CBA, a 17th game became inevitable.

League owners held a virtual meeting earlier this month but didn't hold any formal vote on the topic.

"We had a lengthy discussion on this; obviously it's an important decision for us," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said, per the Associated Press' Barry Wilner. "We did not take any votes with respect to committing to do it. In the collective bargaining agreement, we have that right to do it."

The owners did approve how the schedule would be altered in the event of a 17-game season. The additional game would be an interconference clash, with the teams determined by the standings from the previous season.