The NFL owners are meeting today via a teleconference due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic impacting the world. The group voted and approved the expansion of the playoffs for the 2020 season to 14 teams, with seven per conference.
The NFL owners have confirmed, via a vote on today's teleconference, that there will be expanded playoffs after the 2020 season, source said. Expected and now official. One more team per conference.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 31, 2020
The transition means that only one team per conference will now earn a bye week, with the remaining squads playing during the Wild-card round.
If those playoff rules had been in place during the 2019 season, only the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens would have earned first-round byes. It would have also meant the Los Angeles Rams' and the Pittsburgh Steelers' seasons wouldn't have ended at Week 17, with each sneaking into the postseason.
NFL clubs approve expansion of postseason beginning in 2020 season:
- Number of playoff teams increased from 12 to 14 (one additional Wild Card team per conference)
— NFL (@NFL) March 31, 2020
- No. 1 seeds in each conference receive a bye
- Wild Card Round expands from four to six games pic.twitter.com/sFiamvSi1C
Below is what the 2019 playoffs would have looked like under the new expanded format.
* Denotes a division winner
San Francisco 49ers* (1 seed, 13-3)
NFC Wild-Card Round:
Los Angeles Rams (7 seed, 9-7) at Green Bay Packers* (2 seed, 13-3)
Minnesota Vikings (6 seed, 10-6) at New Orleans Saints* (3 seed, 13-3)
Seattle Seahawks (5 seed, 11-5) at Philadelphia Eagles* (4 seed, 9-7)
AFC First-Round Bye:
Baltimore Ravens* (1 seed, 14-2)
AFC Wild-Card Round:
Pittsburgh Steelers (7 seed, 8-8) at Kansas City Chiefs* (2 seed, 12-4)
Tennessee Titans (6 seed, 9-7) at New England Patriots* (3 seed, 12-4)
Buffalo Bills (5 seed, 10-6) at Houston Texans* (4 seed, 10-6)
