NFL owners voted to expand the 2021 season schedule to 17 games Tuesday — an expected move that already has drawn criticism from the league’s players.
The Bears are expected to play their 17th game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, according to a widely reported AFC vs. NFC formula.
The expansion to a 17-game schedule was considered inevitable after the NFL and the NFL Players Association signed the current collective bargaining agreement last March that included a provision for it. The league’s financial straits caused by the coronavirus season with few fans in the stadiums likely hastened the move for the 2021 season.