Somewhat surprisingly, the vote to add a 17th game to the NFL regular season schedule was not unanimous among the league’s owners.
According to Seth Wickersham of ESPN, one owner voted against the proposal to add an extra week to the season: George McCaskey of the Chicago Bears. The organization did not respond to requests for comment.
Filed to @espn: Yesterday's vote to expand the NFL regular season was years in the making — but it wasn't unanimous among team owners. George H. McCaskey of the Bears voted against it. https://t.co/xnbICPge6k
— Seth Wickersham (@SethWickersham) March 31, 2021
It’s anyone’s guess what the Bears’ rationale would have been. Owners strongly favored the proposal, as the extra week will provide a noticeable revenue boost around the league between the extra home game and more television broadcasts.
Some players were vocally displeased with the outcome of the vote. Maybe the Bears will score some points among them for standing in opposition, even if it was futile.
