The Eagles Will Get A 17th Game In 2021 As NFL Season Expands

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Eagles fans will have one more game to watch in 2021, as NFL owners voted Tuesday to expand its regular season to 17 games. It's the first time in 43 years that the league has lengthened its season.

According to NFL.com, each team will now take part in an additional AFC versus NFC game based on prior season division standings and on a rotating divisional basis. AFC teams will be the home teams this season. For the Birds, it means they'll face off against the New York Jets.

"This is a monumental moment in NFL history," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement, pointing to the recent collective bargaining agreement and new contracts with media corporations that led to the change.

The move is not without its critics.

"The 17th game is the product of the league’s architects putting an unending desire for more revenue ahead of every other potential consideration, including safety, competitive balance, optics, and common sense," author and longtime NFL journalist Michael McCambridge wrote for NBC Sports. "The change is, in a word, dispiriting."

In their announcement, the league itself acknowledged lost revenue in 2020 due to the pandemic as a factor in the expansion.

McCambridge quoted a wide variety of players and coaches around the league who echoed his concerns, including Hall of Fame head coach Tony Dungy, and a pair of owners who said the move was strictly for revenue purposes and would not improve the quality of the sport.

It came alongside an announcement that all 32 teams will play in at least one international game every eight years. The NFL has made attempts at growing the sport abroad with games held in London and Mexico City for years.

Goodell also said he expects all teams around the league to have full stadiums in 2021, citing increased vaccinations and optimism about the state of the nation in the coming months, per NFL.com.

For the Birds, the shift for 2021 could be good news. They have an 11-0 all time record against their paler, pukier-green neighbors to the north, with their last victory coming during the 2019 season.

After trading franchise quarterback Carson Wentz, the Birds will head into the 2021 season with Jalen Hurts at the helm, along with new head coach Nick Sirianni.

The Eagles 2021 schedule will made up of the following opponents, the organization has announced:

Home

• Dallas Cowboys
• New York Giants
• Washington Football Team
• Kansas City Chiefs
• Los Angeles Chargers
• New Orleans Saints
• San Francisco 49ers
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Away

• Dallas Cowboys
• New York Giants
• Washington Football Team
• Atlanta Falcons
• Carolina Panthers
• Denver Broncos
• Detroit Lions
• Las Vegas Raiders
• New York Jets