Here is all you need to know about how NFL 2021 bye weeks work
For the first time in 43 years, the NFL brought in major changes to the league. The usual 16-game season was changed to 17.
The previous change was way back in 1978 when the league changed from a 14-game season to a 16-game season.
The primary reason for the same has been more revenue. A week extra of the regular season, with the pre-season being cut by a game, will bring in more revenue.
4 games had been the norm for pre-season, and now with the introduction of the 17-game season, the pre-season has been cut to 3 games.
As a result, the season end will be pushed by a week, with no changes to the season start. The Super Bowl will be taking place on the 13th of February, 2022.
Had it been a 16-game season, the Super Bowl would have commenced on the 6th of February, 2022.
However, the league will not be adding another bye week for the 2022 and the forthcoming seasons, meaning that they would be proceeding with one bye week.
NFL 2021 Bye Weeks explained
Any week during the regular season a team does not feature is considered to be a bye week for that particular team.
Bye weeks concept has been a part of the NFL since time immemorial. Teams get a week’s off during the regular season, and it falls usually between Gameweek 4 and Gameweek 12.
Of late, each year has been different. In 2018 and 2019 it was between Gameweek 4 and 12. But in 2017, it stretched from 5-11, 2016 – 4 to 13.
A rare instance of a 2 bye weeks season was the 1993 NFL season. The regular season spanned 18 weeks that year.
For the 2021 NFL season, the bye weeks are expected to begin from Gameweek 6 and go on until Gameweek 14.
Here is the bye week schedule for the respective teams during the 2021 NFL season:
Week 6: Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers
Week 7: Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings, Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 8: Baltimore Ravens, Las Vegas Raiders
Week 9: Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Football Team
Week 10: Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Houston Texans, New York Giants
Week 11: Los Angeles Rams, Denver Broncos
Week 12: Arizona Cardinals, Kansas City Chiefs
Week 13: Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, Tennessee Titans
Week 14: Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles
FAQs about NFL 2021 bye weeks
The bye weeks begin from Gamweek 6 during the 2021 NFL season.
The bye weeks stretch until Gameweek 14.
The bye weeks for the 2021 NFL Season begins from Gameweek 6 because it is a 17-game season, unlike the usual 16-game season.
Week 7 has 6 teams being handed out the bye week.
It was 1978 when the NFL opted for a 16-game season instead of the usual 14.
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