ESPN: A number of Crew Insiders Choose Outdated Playoff Bracket Format with Byes for 4 Groups

The NFL modified to a 14-team playoff format in 2020, altering how the bye weeks functioned. Underneath the previous format, the highest two groups in every convention acquired a bye week; now, solely the highest total seed per convention will get that benefit.

And it reportedly hasn’t been the most well-liked change across the league.

In accordance with ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, “Most individuals interviewed for this story mentioned they most well-liked the earlier two-byes-per-conference format, however reverting to that setup does not appear viable for the league. As CBS Sports recently reported, the following playoff tweak may deal with rewarding higher information throughout wild-card weekend. Presently, divisional winners occupy the top-four seeds in every convention, regardless of wild-card groups holding a greater report in three of final weekend’s matchups. The league may reportedly flip that setup to reward the most effective report.”

There is not a logical setup to return to the two-bye system aside from returning to 6 playoff groups per convention, which appears unlikely. Even when the league went to an 18-game schedule—which ought to embody a second bye week, if the NFL really cares within the slightest about participant security—it is unclear if the playoff format can be altered.

So for now, the one-bye-per-conference setup stays, and sure will persist for the foreseeable future.