Report: CBA talks resume, playoff expansion front and center

Playoff expansion is front and center as the NFL and the Players Association resume talks geared toward a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, NFL Network reported Monday. The addition of one playoff team from each conference has been discussed before, but could become reality as owners consider ways to maintain profit margins while also eliminating at least one week of preseason games.

Currently, each team has two home games each preseason. With season-ticket holder and personal seat license sales counting toward attendance, the gate for home teams at those two games is considerable. Some owners support expanding the regular season to 17 or 18 weeks from 16.

There is also growing support for boosting the playoff field by one team in each conference, per NFL Network. The existing CBA expires in March 2021, but commissioner Roger Goodell said there is momentum on both sides to agree to a new deal before the start of the NFL's 100th season on Sept. 5.

Scheduling might not be an easy bridge to cross in negotiations considering player-safety initiatives during the lifespan of the current CBA. An even greater challenge would appear to be the players insisting on a greater take of revenues from the current allotment of 47 percent.

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