So says Seth Emerson in The Athletic. Presuming he’s saying that this would have meant few opt-outs, I ll agree for now. I don’t think we can count on this going forward, though. There are too many agents involved and warning that postseason play could jeopardize huge NFL payoffs. The new playoff system means at least one, maybe two additional intensely contested post-season games that would be much riskier injury-wise than a bowl game it seems to me. I certainly don’t take it as a given that the player’s NFL draft stock would take a hit for what amounts to a “business decision.”
