NFL will expand to 16-team playoff field if games are canceled

Earlier in the day, the NFL and NFL Players Association confirmed 15 new positive COVID-19 tests among players and 41 new positives among other personnel from Nov. 1-7. With coronavirus cases rising throughout the country and remaining bye weeks disappearing from the calendar, there are concerns that future postponed contests could be canceled to avoid other scheduling conflicts. 

It's believed the NFL still wants to avoid a scenario involving a "Week 18" of the season used only to play postponed games. The off week between the conference title games and Super Bowl could be canceled, if necessary, to keep Super Bowl LV on Feb. 7. 

Following the coronavirus outbreak within the Tennessee Titans, the NFL declared that anybody deemed a "high-risk close contact" of an infected person must isolate for a minimum of five days and test negative for the virus each day before he or she can return to any team facility. While this is meant to prevent the spread of the virus, it could leave a club unable to safely field a squad on a game day.