Report: NFL has 16-team playoff contingency plan

A coronavirus outbreak within the Tennessee Titans caused multiple changes to the 2020 NFL schedule and threatened the integrity of a season that will be through eight full weeks following Monday night's game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Giants. 

It appears the NFL has a plan if future games are canceled because of issues related to the pandemic. 

ESPN's Chris Mortensen is reporting that the NFL competition committee will present a plan to owners that includes expanding the playoffs to 16 teams for the campaign if contests can't occur due to outbreaks and subsequent quarantines. Four division champions would be joined in the postseason tournament by four wild-card squads. 

Top seeds would play No. 8 teams, No. 2 teams would play No. 7s, No. 3s would face No. 6s, and No. 4s would play against No. 5s. 

Earlier this year, the NFL expanded the playoffs to 14 total teams. 

Last week, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the NFL wants to maintain the standard 17-week schedule through Jan. 3 and avoid a scenario that includes a so-called "Week 18." The off week between the conference title games and Super Bowl will be canceled if the league has to postpone the start of the postseason by seven days or more. 

Additionally, the NFL could push Super Bowl LV back for up to four weeks to complete previous portions of the calendar.