The NFL had been pushing for a 17-game regular season for quite some time — revenue rules! — and it finally got its wish as part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement signed into effect last year. Beginning with the 2021 regular season, the league would add one more week of action to it pre-playoff schedule.
Moving to a 17-game format will be quite a change for everyone involved with the league, but especially those who actually take the field. Beginning this year, players will have to go through the rigors of one additional week of preparation and play with no additional recovery time added to the schedule.