The league made a controversial decision on Thursday Night Football yesterday. Amazon Prime can now choose to flex up to two matchups in weeks 13-17 with 28 days notice to the league. The goal is to try and get premium matchups late in the season but many people have questions about player safety and fan experience in these types of flexes. For 2023, how does this new rule affect the Green Bay Packers?
Thursday Night Football And The Green Bay Packers
Part of the new rule is that teams cannot play more than two TNF games in a season. The Packers have a TNF game in week 4 against the Lions and then also play Detroit on Thanksgiving. The trick is that the Thanksgiving game does not count as a TNF game meaning they could be flexed in. Weeks 13 and 17 are already scheduled for Sunday Night Football against the Chiefs and Vikings respectively. Week 14 is also a Monday Night Football matchup with the Giants. The other two weeks are matchups against the Bucs and Panthers which as of right now do not figure to be premium games.
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Affect In Future Years
While this year may not have much of an effect, future years may affect the Packers in a big way. The hope is that the Jordan Love-led Packers can get back into playoff contention soon. This may cause the Packers games late in the season to be desirable for TNF. If the Packers get scheduled for the Thanksgiving game in future years, they could end up playing three games on Thursday. This could be a massive disadvantage for the team which is part of the reason the Packers were one of eight teams to vote against it. This is something to watch for the season.
Thursday Night Football will continue to be a topic of conversation in the years to come. The Green Bay Packers and other top teams will be the most affected by the new rule which is why it was surprising so many top teams voted for it. Ultimately, teams will have to figure out how to adapt and enjoy the 10 days rest after the TNF matchup.
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