The future of the NFL

[21isSuperman]

In what's a relatively slow time for NFL news, I thought this would be an interesting topic to discuss.

 

theScore has put out 4 articles on what the future of the NFL looks like.

 

In 5 years:

-More people watching online instead of on TV

-Rule changes, offensive records broken left and right

 

Coaches no longer call plays by radioing them to a speaker in the quarterback's helmet. Instead, they enter play calls into a computer that instantly relays instructions to all 11 players on the field via LCD wristbands and helmets with Google Glass-like technology.

If you look at the image associated with the above paragraph, I think it would be really cool to see it.  At the same time, it would put less of a demand on players with high football IQ.  You no longer need to know the entire playbook since you can see any play at any second and see where to go.

-Potential labour strike again

 

In 10 years:

-NFL expansion

-Extensive use of virtual reality

-Drones are used as cameras, rendering the Chain Gang obsolete

-A safety overhaul after a player dies (they call it the first player death even though Jack Tatum already has that to his name)

 

In 20 years:

-Finesse emphasized over power

-Lab-grown ligaments and robotic surgery make injury recovery times shorter than ever before

-Games watched at home via virtual reality

-Vast global expansion

 

In 50 years:

-The game becomes 7-on-7 instead of the current 11-on-11

-Stringent drug testing and augmentation limits due to the lab-grown ligaments, etc.

-Pads and helmets have such good technology that injuries fall to an all-time low and are nearly 0

-Reffing is now done by drones

 

They have some really interesting ideas.  What do you think the future of the NFL looks like?

[BloodyChamp]

Some of those are a joke, some of those will happen and some of those have already happened.

[Narcosys]

In what's a relatively slow time for NFL news, I thought this would be an interesting topic to discuss.

 

theScore has put out 4 articles on what the future of the NFL looks like.

 

In 5 years:

-More people watching online instead of on TV

-Rule changes, offensive records broken left and right

If you look at the image associated with the above paragraph, I think it would be really cool to see it.  At the same time, it would put less of a demand on players with high football IQ.  You no longer need to know the entire playbook since you can see any play at any second and see where to go.

-Potential labour strike again

 

In 10 years:

-NFL expansion

-Extensive use of virtual reality

-Drones are used as cameras, rendering the Chain Gang obsolete

-A safety overhaul after a player dies (they call it the first player death even though Jack Tatum already has that to his name)

 

In 20 years:

-Finesse emphasized over power

-Lab-grown ligaments and robotic surgery make injury recovery times shorter than ever before

-Games watched at home via virtual reality

-Vast global expansion

 

In 50 years:

-The game becomes 7-on-7 instead of the current 11-on-11

-Stringent drug testing and augmentation limits due to the lab-grown ligaments, etc.

-Pads and helmets have such good technology that injuries fall to an all-time low and are nearly 0

-Reffing is now done by drones

 

They have some really interesting ideas.  What do you think the future of the NFL looks like?

 

LCD wristbands most likely not, too easily broken.  Same with the in-helmet one as well.  Depending on the material they use, can be easily broken and become a hazard for the players eyes.

 

Virtual reality in 10 years...unlikely.  Not sure how drone cameras are what is needed to determine ball position and placement over chain gang; if they arent already using the cameras now, why invest in flying ones?

 

Vast global expansion unlikely, would require two different NFL leagues.  You wont have European countries flying to US, South Africa, Africa, and all over.  Even Soccer doesnt travel that much in that short amount of time as the NFL Season.  When they do they are typically within a US Coast to Coast type distance.

[bestQBever]

LCD wristbands most likely not, too easily broken.  Same with the in-helmet one as well.  Depending on the material they use, can be easily broken and become a hazard for the players eyes.

 

Virtual reality in 10 years...unlikely.  Not sure how drone cameras are what is needed to determine ball position and placement over chain gang; if they arent already using the cameras now, why invest in flying ones?

 

Vast global expansion unlikely, would require two different NFL leagues.  You wont have European countries flying to US, South Africa, Africa, and all over.  Even Soccer doesnt travel that much in that short amount of time as the NFL Season.  When they do they are typically within a US Coast to Coast type distance.

yes like you said, if we did expand, we would be expanding football, not the NFL. maybe we hold a world championship every 4 years like soccer once there has been enough established leagues outside the US. But then again we'd have to skip the NFL season those years...

[Narcosys]

yes like you said, if we did expand, we would be expanding football, not the NFL. maybe we hold a world championship every 4 years like soccer once there has been enough established leagues outside the US. But then again we'd have to skip the NFL season those years...

 

I was basing it off of the first 5 years saying NFL Expansion.

[Qwiz]

They forgot to mention Robocop and the Terminator enjoying the game as holograms from the stands. But seriously, some of this stuff is intriguing as far as predictions go.

[amfootball]

If Cuban is right and he just may be, the NFL will implode in the next ten years ...

[Valpo2004]

5 years:  I disagree with a lot here

 

Offensive records may be broken but it will slow down a bit.  You arn't going to have 6 QB's throwing for 40 TD's as it says.  Lost in all this hub bub about offense the average overall score per game has only increased slightly.  It's not nearly as bad as people think it is.

 

Disagree about the LCD plays.  That kind of stuff would be hard to protect on a football field.  They may set it up to radio to all 11 players. . . MAYBE.  But I don't think they will do that.  They are going to want there to be a downside to no huddle offense.  The downside is that it's tougher to communicate the play. 

 

Extra point will remain in some form I'm sure.  At least for the forseeable future.

 

10 Years.

 

Agree on expansion and drones.  Disagree on player death causing huge changes in the rules.  Like boxing eventually people will just accept that it's a dangerous sport that can cause long term head injury.  They will only go so far to make the game safe before people just start accepting this reality.  

 

Disagree on VR. . . If that kind of stuff worked then they would already be having players playing Madden for mental reps.

 

20 Years: 

 

Agree on removing of kickoffs . . . this may come sooner then 20 years.  After a while 3 point stances may be removed but I'm not sure.  They say they cause concussions but I don't see an inordinate amount of linemen going out with concussions.  To me it seems to be more receivers and DB's.  

 

Disagree on the ACL's.  Even if you can grow ACL's in a lab and put them in with micro incisions I'm pretty sure it's still going to be a season ending injury.  

 

Also disagree that PED's will be accepted.  In fact that seems counter to safer game play.

 

Disagree on declining stadiums. . . no matter how good our technology. . . Watching at home will never be the same as being there live.  Stadiums may not get bigger, but they arn't getting smaller.  

 

Agree on the helmet cams and other cameras.  In a way I'm somewhat surprised we don't have these already.  

 

50 Years

 

Disagree on the 7 on 7 alignment.  

 

Disagree on the forward motion. . . that would essentially make the NFL Canadian football.

 

Disagree with the removal of punting.  They might change the nature to make it safer but it will still be there.  

 

Points for field goals will not be tied to distance. 

 

Disagree about injuries being almost removed.  Disagree about drones replacing refs.

 

They take this whole "make the game safer" movement too far.  At some point people will just accept that it's a dangerous sport to play and that nerological problems may result later in life.  

 

We don't talk about this problem when it comes to boxing and by all accounts I believe boxing is worse then football in this regard.  People just accepted it.  

 

They strongly underestimate the human capacity to accept violence and injuries in sports.  In a world where the popularity of Mixed Martial Arts is growing at some point a certain amount of violence in football will be accepted.

 

I will say that I think they will start moving away from kids playing tackle football.  I wouldn't be surprised if 50 years from now the only football available to kids before high school is flag football.  

[21isSuperman]

If Cuban is right and he just may be, the NFL will implode in the next ten years ...

I can't see that.  The NFL is more popular now than it has ever been.  Yes, that does mean more negative attention and criticism, but I don't think it's anywhere near imploding

[amfootball]

I can't see that.  The NFL is more popular now than it has ever been.  Yes, that does mean more negative attention and criticism, but I don't think it's anywhere near imploding

I think it may be completely different in 10 years time. I would have never predicted 10 years ago that the game would be played how it is now with all the rules to favor offensive scoring and rules for safety. I have a feeling it may be unimaginable what it may look like and how many boys will be going into football in the future. I think cases like Borland are just the tip of the iceberg.

[21isSuperman]

I think it may be completely different in 10 years time. I would have never predicted 10 years ago that the game would be played how it is now with all the rules to favor offensive scoring and rules for safety. I have a feeling it may be unimaginable what it may look like and how many boys will be going into football in the future. I think cases like Borland are just the tip of the iceberg.

There may be a few guys who walk away, but I think you'll be hard-pressed to find guys willing to part with millions of dollars.  They know the risks involved.

[amfootball]

There may be a few guys who walk away, but I think you'll be hard-pressed to find guys willing to part with millions of dollars.  They know the risks involved.

Yeah, it is interesting debate. I was talking to someone about it recently but if you have guys like Borland who can do other things besides football given his background and education than the idea of literally hitting his head against the wall becomes less appealing. For sure there will be guys that stay for the money and also due to economics of not being able to do anything else but you may start to see the whittling process and certainly moms that are my age are hesitant about putting their sons into it. I know several families who have forbidden their boys to play it.

[shakedownstreet]

Coming soon... The RNFL (robot national football league)

[Synthetic]

LCD wristbands most likely not, too easily broken.  Same with the in-helmet one as well.  Depending on the material they use, can be easily broken and become a hazard for the players eyes.

 

Virtual reality in 10 years...unlikely.  Not sure how drone cameras are what is needed to determine ball position and placement over chain gang; if they arent already using the cameras now, why invest in flying ones?

 

Vast global expansion unlikely, would require two different NFL leagues.  You wont have European countries flying to US, South Africa, Africa, and all over.  Even Soccer doesnt travel that much in that short amount of time as the NFL Season.  When they do they are typically within a US Coast to Coast type distance.

 

 

 

Yeah global expansion is highly unlikely. The NFL already tried that a few decades ago with the European league that was a total failure. There is market in Toronto and London but still not enough to globally expand like that and build teams across countries. 

 

Virtual football already exists in the form of Tecmo and Madden. 

[Narcosys]

Virtual football already exists in the form of Tecmo and Madden.

Lol, I thought they meant things like headsets or hologram projections in your living room.

[Synthetic]

Lol, I thought they meant things like headsets or hologram projections in your living room.

 

Well, there is a new Star Wars film approaching theaters, so perhaps we'll get to hologram projections soon

 

 

 

 

They've been discussing the hologram thing with dead artists the past few years. I guess it's possible after the Tupac hologram was presented on stage a few years back. 

[braveheartcolt]

50 years - Patriots finally complete a season without cheating.

A bit far fetched, but hey.

[oldunclemark]

In 10 years:

-NFL expansion

-Extensive use of virtual reality

-Drones are used as cameras, rendering the Chain Gang obsolete

-A safety overhaul after a player dies (they call it the first player death even though Jack Tatum already has that to his name)

I think expansion is inevitable..we'll have 40 teams in 20 years

I think a movement of the ball can be tracekd the way hiome run distances are tracked in baseball.

The 'chain gang' can be virtual..

A Lions players died on the field in the 60s..but I now what you mean.

I think uniforms will eventually be two half full body suits that absorb shock..Its a little "rollerball' but I think its possible.

 

In 20 years:

-Finesse emphasized over power

-Lab-grown ligaments and robotic surgery make injury recovery times shorter than ever before

-Games watched at home via virtual reality

-Vast global expansion

I think the field might we widened to emphasize speed and agility.

Every stadium will have a roof or the team wont be in the NFL. Its insane to play outdoors in the north in January

I think the there may eventually be six eligible receivers...instead of five

 

[ColtRider]

This is a great thread, 21! Some very interesting ideas and some not. To this I'll say ...

Remember the past. Plan for the future. Live for today. Because, yesterday is gone and tomorrow may never come.

(seem to recall reading that somewhere)

If the NFL changes, and in all likelihood it will, remember what got you there. Sliding off the tracks always ends up in a train wreck.

[oldunclemark]

Yeah global expansion is highly unlikely. The NFL already tried that a few decades ago with the European league that was a total failure. There is market in Toronto and London but still not enough to globally expand like that and build teams across countries.

\

To be fair, the NFL never expanded to Europe with its main product. There will be real NFL teams in Europe in 10 years.

Roger Goddell keeps speaking to that plan.

There can also be teams in Mexico and Cuba. Markets line San Antonio and LasVegas have yet to be touched.

And there will be 2 teas in LA soon.

40 teams by 2035 years may be a low estimate

[Synthetic]

\

To be fair, the NFL never expanded to Europe with its main product. There will be real NFL teams in Europe in 10 years.

Roger Goddell keeps speaking to that plan.

There can also be teams in Mexico and Cuba. Markets line San Antonio and LasVegas have yet to be touched.

And there will be 2 teas in LA soon.

40 teams by 2035 years may be a low estimate

 

 

Highly doubt there will be real NFL teams in Europe in the next decade.

 

Europeans prefer football as in foot kicking ball around. The NFL has a tough time marketing their product to the Canadians. 

 

Mexico and Cuba prefer their Baseball and Soccer too. Most of Central and South America are heavy into soccer. 

[NewColtsFan]

Personally,  I don't think there will ever be a team permanently placed in Europe.    The logistics are simply too unfavorable.

 

If you're based in London,  can you really be expected to play well if you have to fly to the West Coast?     I don't think so.

 

What I've heard from NFL execs on some of the ESPN football shows is this....

 

That eventually they will play a full slate of games in Europe....   16 games,  but it will be done by the 32 teams based in the U.S.

 

Each team would have to give up a home game once every other year.    And teams would be willing to do that in order to expand the reach of the NFL.

 

I don't know how many years off we are from that,  but I could be OK with that as opposed to putting a team in London or Paris or Berlin.      That would be crazy.    That team would be at a huge competitive disadvantage.

[ColtRider]

Personally,  I don't think there will ever be a team permanently placed in Europe.    The logistics are simply too unfavorable.

 

If you're based in London,  can you really be expected to play well if you have to fly to the West Coast?     I don't think so.

 

What I've heard from NFL execs on some of the ESPN football shows is this....

 

That eventually they will play a full slate of games in Europe....   16 games,  but it will be done by the 32 teams based in the U.S.

 

Each team would have to give up a home game once every other year.    And teams would be willing to do that in order to expand the reach of the NFL.

 

I don't know how many years off we are from that,  but I could be OK with that as opposed to putting a team in London or Paris or Berlin.      That would be crazy.    That team would be at a huge competitive disadvantage.

That's the largest problem that I see as well, NCF! Logistics. Splintering off the NFL into other countries would almost certainly change the venue of the league itself. Not only limited to times, dates, and opponents. It would involve the countries and cities themselves having say so on an equal level from A-Z, just as the current franchises that exist in the NFL now at present day. An entirely different can of worms could be opened to a world-wide league just from the feasibility of it. The "NFL" would no longer be the "NFL", IMO.

I'm all for expanding the league, but on a much smaller basis. In country only. I really cannot picture, "The World Football League"? The NFL is a unique brand of football. One that is very much loved and liked by many, many fans in this country and abroad. I would hope and pray that the American style of football is kept home where it belongs. Maybe I'm too old-fashioned and old-school when it comes to things like this. I dunno. I just hate to mess around with things that work, and work well. I've always subscribed to the mentality of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" attitude. Not that I'm against the future or anything like that. Some jewels just need to be guarded and protected at all times. I just happen to think that the National Football League is one of those jewels.

[pacolts56]

50 years from now.....

 

Diehard Peyton fans claim he has another 4-5 solid years left and holler blasphemy at any suggestion he's hanging around to pad his career stats.

[21isSuperman]

Personally,  I don't think there will ever be a team permanently placed in Europe.    The logistics are simply too unfavorable.

 

If you're based in London,  can you really be expected to play well if you have to fly to the West Coast?     I don't think so.

 

What I've heard from NFL execs on some of the ESPN football shows is this....

 

That eventually they will play a full slate of games in Europe....   16 games,  but it will be done by the 32 teams based in the U.S.

 

Each team would have to give up a home game once every other year.    And teams would be willing to do that in order to expand the reach of the NFL.

 

I don't know how many years off we are from that,  but I could be OK with that as opposed to putting a team in London or Paris or Berlin.      That would be crazy.    That team would be at a huge competitive disadvantage.

This is what comes to my mind as well.  Let's say the London team has to travel to San Fran for a game.  Not only will they be jet lagged, but they'll spend a lot of time traveling while the 49ers spend that time practicing.  Does that mean you need several European teams to have their own market there to prevent this sort of competitive advantage one team would get over the other?  How would it be any different than NFL Europe?

 

One thing I'm really interested to see is NFL prospects in 10 or 20 years.  Will 4.15 40s be a regular thing?  Will 40" vertical jumps be regular?  If you look at the sizes the guys had in the 1970s and 80s and compare them to what players have today, it's a huge change.  Players are becoming bigger, faster, and stronger.  But along with that, does it mean we'll see more injuries because pads and helmets won't be able to keep up with the strength of the players?  It's a lot to think about