NFL Officially Announces 17 Game Schedule

The National Football League will be adding a 17th regular-season game beginning in 2021, as that was allowed as a part of the new collective bargaining agreement. The owners still had to approve the rule change, but that was officially done at a virtual meeting held on Tuesday.

The league had already determined how a 17th opponent would be chosen for each team, and it was pretty easy to predict what teams would square off in the new game. Matchups will be against non-conference opponents with similar records in the previous season.

Teams will have nine home games one year and then eight home games the following year. Each NFL team will still be given just one bye week throughout the regular season. 

Teams will have nine home games one year and then eight home games the following year. Each NFL team will still be given just one bye week throughout the regular season. 

The AFC teams will get the additional game at home in 2021, and then all of those conference teams will be on the road in 2022. Both the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns will face some difficult opponents next season in the 17th game.

Cincinnati is set to host the San Francisco 49ers in the final week of the season after it was a disappointing season for that franchise. San Francisco was in the Super Bowl just two seasons ago but had a disappointing 2020 season due to injuries.

Cleveland will be hosting the Arizona Cardinals in what should be one of the best matchups of the season in the additional game. Both the Browns and Cardinals have terrific young quarterbacks, which will be a great matchup to watch. 

Adding an additional week to the regular season will also push the Super Bowl back one week in 2022. Super Bowl LVI will be held on February 13 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, and both the Bengals and Browns hope to be playing in that game. 

More Drama With Watson

Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson continues to be in the news for all the wrong reasons this offseason, and there was a new twist to the story added this week. The Houston Police Department announced that it has now launched an investigation after a report was filed on Friday.

Up until Friday, all of the allegations against Watson have only resulted in a lawsuit, and the Houston Police have declined to comment on the matter. An investigation doesn’t mean that Watson is guilty of committing any crime, but things are not headed in a good direction for the QB.

Rusty Hardin, Watson’s lawyer, released a statement on Friday promising that his client would work with the Houston Police Department during this investigation. Details of the report were not revealed, but it is expected to be attached to the reports of sexual abuse and misconduct. 

There are currently 21 civil lawsuits filed against Watson, and none of those lawsuits have been tried at this time. The NFL has announced that it is also launching its own investigation into the allegations, but that could be put on hold now that this is a police issue.

Watson demanded a trade from the Houston Texans immediately following the 2020 season, but the team was unwilling to meet his demands.