NFL Looking to Expand Playoffs

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has suggested at an owners meetings that they will look into expanding the playoffs.

“Of course, site something that we discussed in the past is expanded playoffs. That is something that we teed up (at the meeting Wednesday),” he said. “We will probably be looking at it with the committee over the next several months. Right now, we are at 12 teams, obviously. We will look at probably 14 or 16. The committee will be looking at that.” 

The current format, adopted in 2002 after the NFL added the Houston Texans and realigned the league into eight four-team divisions, 12 teams make the playoffs, eight division champions and two wild cards in each conference. 

The NFL has had 12 teams qualify for the postseason since 1990, when it expanded the field from 10, adding a third wild card in each conference to join three division champions.