Predict 3 shocking developments...

[sheajets]

...that will occur in the NFL within the next 10 years that nobody will see coming. Inspired by the Vegas Golden Knights incredible run that currently has them in the Stanley Cup FInals against either Tampa or Washington.

If somebody told you in 1992 that the Browns would be in Baltimore by 1996, it would be unfathomable. Or in 2000 that the Patriots would build possibly the greatest dynasty in NFL history, or in 1989 that the Rams would leave LA, win a Super Bowl in St. Louis and then RETURN to LA...it would've been silly.

So what are three crazy things that you think may happen between now and 2028. No limits take it as far as you'd like. Freakish statistical seasons, Super Bowl wins, teams in Europe, cheating, concussion lawsuits etc. Have at it

[Rupert Patrick]

The Raiders will leave Vegas and move back to Oakland.

We will see expansion to 34 teams by 2028, it will forced by a sudden franchise movement similar to when the NFL agreed to award the city of Cleveland another Browns franchise almost immediately after Art Modell moved the Browns to Baltimore, and the league will add a 34th franchise to balance the number of teams. Like the Browns, it will be an issue concerning a bad stadium situation and another city offering to build a free stadium when the team's original city won't build them one.

Of the current teams who have not already won a Super Bowl - Browns, Bills, Bengals, Titans, Jaguars, Texans, Chargers, Lions, Vikings, Falcons, Panthers and Cardinals - three will win their first Lombardi Trophy.

[74_75_78_79_]

2028...

1) The Jags will have already moved to London within the past decade but are now either...

a. Back in the States but not in Jacksonville, or

b. Dissolved as a franchise altogether

2) Two preseason games, 18 regular season games with no surprise that 2-bye-weeks-per-team is back in effect from the early-’90s. However many teams that there are in the league - more than half get to make post-season! I know, not really “shocking”.

3) Big Ben will still be Steelers’ starting QB at age 40 which will mean that Mason Rudolph would have, a la Garappolo, left for another team and between Big Ben’s retirement and ’28 (make that ’38), no Steeler QB makes the Pro Bowl (and so another post-Bradshaw-like QB drought in the ’Burgh has already begun).



Excuse the pessimism. Being how not-so-good I am in predicting each regular season finishes and playoffs every August (eg. Fisher’s Rams making SB via HFA in ’15, Ravens over Giants in ’16 - Flacco SBMVP, Bucs represent NFC this past year, etc), I’m only predicting these so they can all be wrong (and I so hope that they are)!

A bonus 4th one...whether the Raiders will have moved back to Oakland as Rupert predicts or not, not only will there be an NFL team in Vegas either way, but LV will be a four-sport city (I know, not really ‘on-a-limb’-ish either).

[ChrisBabcock]

None of these will be shocking to me but may be shocking to others.

- We will have our first 6000 yard passer.
- We will have our first 2000 yard receiver.
- We will have our first ever QB to throw ZERO interceptions in a season. (among qualifiers)

[Reaser]

None of these will be shocking to me but may be shocking to others.

- We will have our first 6000 yard passer.
- We will have our first 2000 yard receiver.
- We will have our first ever QB to throw ZERO interceptions in a season. (among qualifiers)

That's roughly where my mind went, too. Was thinking passing/receiving yardage but zero ints is a good one! I can see it.

So three different ones;

- Unfortunately football's popularity declines, slow and steadily but by 2028 feels like a 2018 NASCAR style plummet is on the verge of happening. The fortunate part is that as it becomes somewhere between major and niche the level of discussion about the sport improves dramatically as fans are weeded out. Sort of like F1 (from a U.S. perspective where it's a niche sport here) or maybe more accurately what happened to boxing as it's popularity faded. Had less people who didn't know what they were talking about (both media and 'fans') following the sport so the actual fans and knowledgeable were/are all that's left -- save for the bi-yearly big ppv that gets people's attention and thus brings the asinine commentary, "McGregor could really beat Mayweather!" ... no. Double-edged sword for those of us who like talking about sports with anyone/everyone. I only have 4 friends (and only 2 who really follow it) who watch F1 and I'm the only one of us left that watches any boxing so I can watch in peace but no one to talk to about it, ha.

- Expansion will be on the horizon, likely outside of the country. And taking their cue from the contrived Vegas story they'll make the expansion draft/process even more favorable to the new NFL franchise than the NHL did for the Knights. Especially if it's London where the league will sell wanting an immediately competitive team for them but will go even further as -similar to NHL and Vegas- it will be their (NFL) pet project and they'll essentially let them put a SB caliber team together from the jump. Won't take two years to get the AFC/NFC championship like for the Jags and Panthers.

- Some sort of "player safety" rule that's completely over-the-top but unfortunately in 10-years will be a reality. Maybe something like -after a star QB gets injured- literally making it where QB's can't be tackled and they're equipped with strategically placed censors or something where if a defender pushes that part of the uniform/body they're considered "down".

[L.C. Greenwood]

So three different ones;

- Unfortunately football's popularity declines, slow and steadily but by 2028 feels like a 2018 NASCAR style plummet is on the verge of happening. The fortunate part is that as it becomes somewhere between major and niche the level of discussion about the sport improves dramatically as fans are weeded out. Sort of like F1 (from a U.S. perspective where it's a niche sport here) or maybe more accurately what happened to boxing as it's popularity faded. Had less people who didn't know what they were talking about (both media and 'fans') following the sport so the actual fans and knowledgeable were/are all that's left -- save for the bi-yearly big ppv that gets people's attention and thus brings the asinine commentary, "McGregor could really beat Mayweather!" ... no. Double-edged sword for those of us who like talking about sports with anyone/everyone. I only have 4 friends (and only 2 who really follow it) who watch F1 and I'm the only one of us left that watches any boxing so I can watch in peace but no one to talk to about it, ha.

- Expansion will be on the horizon, likely outside of the country. And taking their cue from the contrived Vegas story they'll make the expansion draft/process even more favorable to the new NFL franchise than the NHL did for the Knights. Especially if it's London where the league will sell wanting an immediately competitive team for them but will go even further as -similar to NHL and Vegas- it will be their (NFL) pet project and they'll essentially let them put a SB caliber team together from the jump. Won't take two years to get the AFC/NFC championship like for the Jags and Panthers.

- Some sort of "player safety" rule that's completely over-the-top but unfortunately in 10-years will be a reality. Maybe something like -after a star QB gets injured- literally making it where QB's can't be tackled and they're equipped with strategically placed censors or something where if a defender pushes that part of the uniform/body they're considered "down".[/quote]



Agree about the popularity of tackle football declining in ten years, when the highest form of the sport overreaches on rules changes, the product becomes diluted, and affects all levels of a game which has easily done more good than harm. People are underestimating the effects of the needless minimizing of the kickoff, and other changes which are chipping away at the essence of the sport. Sad to see the NFL taking the wrong approach to player safety, because everyone loses when football is less popular. I predict punts will also be going away, lineman won't be in a three point stance anymore, and QBs will be needless afforded more protection. More interruptions to decipher all these rules, and worse TV ratings for the NFL.

I do believe we'll see both a Spring and Fall League emerge to fill a void in the marketplace. Fans have a basic sense of fairness, and it's easy to have a pro league which addresses the safety issue, while keeping the foundation of the sport intact.

[Todd Pence]

An NFL team will sign a female placekicker, and she will possibly even appear in a preseason game; although she won't make the regular season roster.

[Ronfitch]

The owners will vote to penalizing teams for players kneeling during the ... oh, never mind.

[Mark L. Ford]

I predict that:
*Under a future NFL and NFLPA agreement, the season will go back to 14 regular season games (with no cut in pay for the players) that's scheduled with 6 games within the division, 4 against the teams in another division in the conference, and 4 against the teams in a division in the other conference;
*The NFL playoffs will expand to 16 teams, with no byes, the four division winners getting the top seeds, and 4 wildcards getting the lower seeds; and
*Some less profitable teams will have the option to split their home games between two cities, similar to the Green Bay and Milwaukee arrangement that the Packers had until the 1990s.

[JuggernautJ]

I think many of the above are interesting and, mostly unfortunately, very likely.
Although seeing women/a woman get a fair shot at playing in the NFL would be an unexpected pleasure.

1. Mexico City Raiders
(Or another team if the Raiders somehow succeed/stay in Vegas)

2. Toronto Bills
(Which is my way of saying that, due to travel and financial concerns, the NFL will expand on this continent before trying others.)

3. The NFL in the future will be like MLB is now: once the most popular sport in the country now relegated to a diminishing role because the times have changed and the game can't (or won't) keep up.

The NBA (or, less likely, the NHL) will be the most popular sport in the U.S. of A. The NFL will be third or fourth and MLB right behind the NFL.
Soccer also will grow to be a challenge to the more established "American" sports.
So I am thinking the hierarchy of the future might be:
1. NBA
2. NHL or Soccer
3. Soccer or NHL
4. NFL
5. MLB