Goodell: NFL to add more Thursday games
INDIANAPOLIS -- NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced Friday that there will be a dramatic increase in the number of Thursday night NFL games televised by the NFL Network beginning next season.
There now will be Thursday night games from the second through the 15th week of the season, which gives all 32 of the league's teams a chance to play in at least one prime- time game, including the Sunday night and Monday night games.
Goodell revealed the change in his annual state-of-the-league address at the site of Super Bowl XLVI. He was noncommittal about whether the regular-season schedule will be expanded from its current 16 games. The league and the NFL Players Association have agreed to study the feasibility of an 18-game season, but no firm commitment has been made about when or even whether an expanded regular season will occur.
Goodell addressed other topics, including:
The Los Angeles market. In a televised interview Thursday, he suggested that there could be two expansion teams in Los Angeles, but he backed off that idea Friday and said no definitive plans have been made about expansion.
Peyton Manning. Goodell said he was "not troubled at all" by all the talk about Manning's situation during Super Bowl week. Conflicting reports emerged about Manning's status, with ESPN saying he had been cleared by doctors to resume his career and Colts owner Jim Irsay saying that he had not been cleared. Manning's agent, Tom Condon, said Friday that Manning is ready to resume playing and that he is not inclined to push back the March 8 date on which he is to receive a $28-million bonus. Condon added that he is not ready to discuss any free-agent possibilities for Manning -- including the Jets, Cardinals, Dolphins or any other team -- because Manning still is under contract with the Colts.
Concussions. The commissioner said the league wants to continue making strides in preventing and addressing concussions. He said the league has done "a great deal" to make the game safer and that safety will remain a high priority. He added that the league "is not done yet" with making the game less dangerous for players.
International games. Goodell said the NFL is interested in playing another regular-season game in Mexico, which would add to the international flavor of the league. The Rams recently announced plans to play one home game in each of the next three seasons in London.
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