Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has a fairly radical proposal for an expanded NFL schedule.
Burrow told the “Pardon My Take” podcast recently that he would want the NFL to radically alter its schedule if the league adds an 18th game to the season. Under Burrow’s proposal, the entire league would get a second bye week around Week 13, which would be used to stage the Pro Bowl.
Burrow also proposed that the Super Bowl should be played on the Sunday before President’s Day, which most people have off from work and school.
#Bengals QB Joe Burrow said on @PardonMyTake that if the NFL goes to 18 games, there should be two bye weeks. He suggests one of the byes should be around Week 13 for the entire NFL, with Pro Bowl festivities that week, similar to the NBA's All-Star weekend.
Burrow believes… pic.twitter.com/F6nDV1CT1W
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) July 8, 2024
There are certain aspects of Burrow’s proposal that are pretty solid. The idea of putting the Super Bowl on the day before a national holiday is an intriguing one. Moving the Pro Bowl to midseason might increase ratings, but it probably would not increase the quality of the game. Teams and players would be even more hesitant to take part in the game because of the risk of injury with the back end of the season still to go.
The 18-game schedule seems inevitable and is not universally popular. That extra bye week might placate some players, but not the ones that are more likely to wind up in the Pro Bowl.
