Resetting the previous year’s rule, which the 49ers will most likely encounter once more.
Next week will see the release of the NFL schedule. which implies plan your release parties and start grilling. Should you engage in such behaviour?
Before then, I might discuss a few things, but I should definitely address the Thursday Night Football regulations, or rather, how the NFL has eliminated most of them.
It was straightforward prior to 2023: No team could participate in Thursday Night Football more than once. Remember, that is the game for prime time. Thanksgiving Day games are a constant source of disruption. The NFL has generally been quite good at providing teams with a full week of rest in between two Thursday night games, such as the Dallas Cowboys.
Teams only participated in one Thursday night appearance per season for a variety of obvious reasons, the majority of which had to do with players warning about the dangers involved. Those things, however, came to an end in 2023 when the NFL granted Thursday Night Football considerable leeway, allowing some clubs to play it and others not to.
Who among them didn’t? The Atlanta Falcons were not scheduled to play in the 2023 season.
By whom? Naturally, the San Francisco 49ers. The Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs were among the other clubs that joined in on the excitement. While it made financial and rating sense, clubs that had to play two Thursday night games a season found it inconvenient.
Oh, I see now. Did I not tell you? The NFL likewise applied the BOGO strategy to Thursday Night Football by making that minor modification. Teams can now participate in two of these risky games rather than just one, and other teams are not required to compete in any of them.
I hope that some teams are able to maintain the competitive advantage that this short week gives. The fact that the NFL did not play a single game in 2023 only serves to further complicate matters. Why do the other competing teams not have to do this twice while the 49ers must? Okay, so perhaps?
I probably worry too much about this, too, because I still don’t understand why the NFL didn’t take action to restore the practice field before the Super Bowl.
Among the fortunate teams to benefit from the BOGO offer were the 49ers. Having to play a second Thursday game in addition to Thanksgiving Night. They were also graciously forced to play on Christmas Day by the NFL. They not only had to forfeit both holidays, but they also received the short week twice.
To their credit, the NFL allowed them to play on New Year’s Eve, which allowed them to spend New Year’s Day returning by plane from Washington, D.C.
The 49ers avoided getting squeezed during a winning season, which is fortunate since things could have turned out worse. for a team and supporters. If nothing else, the 49ers were aware of it as early as May. Not as helpful were other teams.
Which leads me back to the rule. This season, the 49ers may play on Thursday Night Football just once, but there’s always the chance of two, and the timing might not be perfect. If the NFL only allowed teams to return from their bye week and perhaps even combined a second bye week with a Thanksgiving flex, then all of this—I don’t know how that would work—could be avoided. It’s not ideal for teams travelling together, but at least it poses less of a risk. Perhaps that happens with the eighteen-game schedule they are rumoring about.
The depressing aspect of how the aforementioned approach will still harm the fans is left unaddressed. This week, fans will check the itinerary and arrange their travel. For those who expect to continue on after Week 13, when flexing begins, their plans run the risk of being derailed.
If I had to guess, I believe the 49ers will play one Thursday night game in October when the schedule is revealed this week. Halloween, I would say. There won’t be another one on the schedule, in my opinion. That contest will be teased for a potential divisional matchup as the season draws to a close. This estimate is solely based on selecting a day from the calendar.
How do you feel about the 49ers potentially hosting two Thursday night games? Do you think it’s not as much fun as it is, or would you be okay with taking the chance of getting hurt in a potential Super Bowl or bust year?