The NFL previously said it will not play on Christmas when December 25 lands on a Tuesday or a Wednesday. As of today, that changed.
In confirming that the NFL will stage a doubleheader on Wednesday, December 25, 2024, Commissioner Roger Goodell offered another “will not.” He said that the league will not play on Wednesdays on a regular basis.
“It will not be a regular thing,” Goodell said. “It will be when Christmas falls on a Wednesday.”
That’s always subject to change. Because money changes everything. If/when they can make a lot of money on another Wednesday night, they will.
What about the night before Thanksgiving? Money! What if a streaming company offers a couple billion dollars per year for a weekly standalone game on Wednesday? Money!
It’s always about the money, especially as the league keeps grabbing for more and more of it. Which is fine. But it shows that no absolutes should be believed. The NFL has proven that it can figure out how to play games any day of the week.
When critics rightfully raises concerns about Thursday night games on a weekly basis due to the potential injury risk, the NFL presented one very specific fact to support the move — the injury rate when playing from Sunday to Thursday is no different than when playing from Sunday to Sunday.
Last year, the NFL abandoned its prior policy of each team getting only one Sunday-Thursday turnaround per year. Once they embrace the idea that it’s fine and/or dandy to play with only three full days between games, the league can get very creative when it comes to scheduling.
And nothing spurs creativity like cash.
