NFL owners approve 14 team expanded playoffs

Expanded playoffs are here and they will go into effect this year, if the year goes on as scheduled. This was something that was pushed for in the new CBA negotiations, and will bring more money to the league and players. The Redskins haven’t made the playoffs since 2015, and the new expanded playoff format wouldn’t have helped them

The NFL has added two wild-card spots. There will now be three wild-card teams in the NFC, and another three in the AFC, for a total of seven playoff teams per conference.

The resulting six wild-card games will be played in back-to-back tripleheaders during wild-card weekend, this year on Jan. 9 and 10. One of the new games, a 4:40 ET kickoff on Jan. 10, will be broadcasted on CBS and streamed on CBS All Access. There will also be a separately-produced broadcast on Nickelodeon geared toward a younger audience.

The No. 7 seeds will play the No. 2 seeds in that round, meaning that only the No. 1 seed will get a first-round bye.

The league announced NBC and CBS would broadcast the additional wild card games. NFL Wild Card Weekend will include three games Saturday, Jan. 9 and another three games Sunday, Jan. 10. In addition to CBS’ extra broadcast on Jan. 9 — which also will be carried via a livestream on CBS All Access — the NFL noted a separately produced telecast of the game will air on Nickelodeon, tailored for a younger audience.

The NBC game on Jan. 10 also will be aired on the network’s new streaming service, Peacock, as well as Telemundo.