This article is about the American football season in the United States. For the Gaelic football season in Ireland, see2016 National Football League (Ireland).
2016 NFL season
Regular season
Duration
September 8, 2016 (2016-09-08) – January 1, 2017 (2017-01-01)
After playing in San Diego for 56 years, the2016 season was the last season for theSan Diego Chargers before their return to the city of Los Angeles for2017, where the franchise was based for their first season in1960.
This would be the first season in which the Super Bowl went into overtime, and the last until2023.
The 2016 NFL league year began on March 9, 2016, at 4:00 p.m. ET. On March 7 clubs started to contact and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who became unrestricted free agents upon the expiration of their2015 contracts two days later. On March 9, clubs exercised options for 2016 on players who have option clauses in their 2015 contracts, submitted qualifying offers to their restricted free agents with expiring contracts and to whom desire to retain a Right of Refusal/Compensation, submitted a Minimum Salary Tender to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with expiring 2015 contracts and who have fewer than three accrued season of free agent credit, and teams were required to be under the salary cap, using the "Top-51" definition (in which the 51 highest-paid players on the team's payroll must have a collective salary cap hit below the actual cap). All 2015 players contracts expired and trading period for 2016 begin.
This season's salary cap increased to $155.27 million per team, up from $143.28 million in 2015.[4]
A total of 496 players were eligible for some form of free agency at the beginning of the free agency period.[5] In addition, a number of highly paid players were released after the start of the league year to allow their teams to regain space under the salary cap. Among the notable players who changed teams via free agency were:
DEJared Allen – Five-time Pro Bowler and four-time first-team All-Pro. Played for Kansas City, Minnesota, Chicago, and Carolina during his 12-year career.[14]
RBArian Foster – Four-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro (two first-team, one second-team). Played for Houston and Miami during his eight-year career.[15]
WRCalvin Johnson – Six-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro (three first-team, one second-team). Played for Detroit during his entire nine-year career.[16]
RBMarshawn Lynch – Five-time Pro Bowler, two-time All-Pro (one first-team, one second-team), andSuper Bowl XLVIII champion. Played for Buffalo and Seattle during his nine-year career.[17] Prior to the2017 season, Lynch came out of retirement, signing with Oakland.[18]
GLogan Mankins - Seven-time Pro Bowler and six-time All-Pro (one first-team, five second-team). Played for New England and Tampa Bay during his 11-year career.[19]
The following rule changes were approved for the 2016 NFL season at the owners' meeting on March 22:[41]
Allowing the offensive and defensive play callers on the coaching staffs to use the coach-to-player communication system regardless of whether they are on the field or in the coaches' booth.
Permanently adopting the extra-point rules enacted in the2015 NFL season. Extra point kicks will be from the 15 yard line, and defenses can return blocked PAT's, fumbles or interceptions on two-point tries for a two-point defensive conversion.
Outlaw all chop blocks anywhere on the field. Previously, the chop block was legal when an offensive lineman chops a defensive player "while the defensive player is physically engaged above the waist by the blocking attempt of another offensive teammate".
Expand the definition of a "horse-collar tackle" to include tackles where a player is grabbed by the jersey at or above the name plate and dragged to the ground.
Making the act of calling time-out when not permitted to do so subject to a delay-of-game penalty (5 yards).
Changing from a five-yard penalty to a loss of down when a receiver goes out of bounds and comes back in to illegally touch a forward pass.
Eliminating multiple spots of enforcement for a double foul committed after a change of possession.
The umpire will now line up in the offensive backfield directly across from the referee at all times in the game, ending the practice of the umpire moving behind the defensive line when the offense is inside the five-yard line or in the final 2:00 of the first half & the final 5:00 of the second half.
The following changes were approved for only the 2016 NFL season at the owners' meeting on March 23. Both were subject to become permanent rules or scrapped for 2017.
Moving thetouchback spot after kickoffs and other free kicks to the 25-yard line, similar to the NCAA rule adopted in the2012 season (a touchback after a turnover or punt will still be placed on the 20-yard line). The goal for this rule change is to decrease the number of kickoff returns: kick returners may be more reluctant to bring the ball out from the end zone because of the greater risk of being tackled before reaching the 25-yard line. NFL officials concede that this may in fact increase kickoff returns because kickers may instead attempt to pin returners inside the 10-yard line.[42] This rule was made permanent in 2018.
Players committing twounsportsmanlike conduct penalties in the same game will be automatically ejected from the game. This was in response toNew York Giants wide receiverOdell Beckham Jr. committing three personal fouls in one game against theCarolina Panthers cornerbackJosh Norman without being ejected. This change is being referred to as the "Odell Beckham Rule". NFL officials, however, clarify that this new rule would not have ejected Beckham since he committed personal fouls and not unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.[43]
The following changes to instant replay rules were approved for the 2016 NFL season at the owners' meeting on May 24:[44]
Refining what is a reviewable play, including the following:
Plays involving possession.
Plays involving touching of either the ball or the ground.
Plays governed by the goal line.
Plays governed by the boundary lines.
Plays governed by the line of scrimmage.
Plays governed by the line to gain (1st down).
Number of players on the field at the snap.
Game administration (which includes correct application of the playing rules, proper down, spot of the foul for penalty application, and game clock status (running clock, not running clock, end of period)
Additional rule updates made for the 2016 season include:
Banning players from wearing hoodies under their uniform shirts. This was adopted in response toGreen Bay Packers wide receiverJames Jones using that style in the 2015 season, which hid his name plate under the hood.[45]
If the coin does not flip (as it did during the 2015–16 NFL Playoff game between the Green Bay Packers and theArizona Cardinals), during the pre-game or pre-OT toss, the Referee can re-toss the coin using the captain's original call.
Practice squads can now have up to four players with two seasons of experience, an increase from the two players allowed the previous two years.[46]
Injury reports will no longer include the "probable" designation. The league had discouraged using the designation for anything beyond minor injuries after 2005 (in a game in whichMichael Vick, listed as probable on the injury report, also was listed as inactive), to the point where almost all of the players who were being listed as probable ultimately played. The "questionable" category will now be broadened to include any injury that could possibly prevent a player from entering the game, while the "doubtful" category will likewise be generalized to include any player who is more likely to not play than play. Prior to 2016, each designation represented the approximate odds of the player seeing any playing time: 75 percent for probable, 50 percent for questionable and 25 percent for doubtful.[47]
The following people associated with the NFL (orAFL) died in 2016.[48]
Dennis Green
Dennis Green died July 21. Green was named the head coach of theMinnesota Vikings in 1992, becoming the second full-time black head coach in NFL history (Art Shell, who had been hired for theLos Angeles Raiders three years prior, was the first). Green spent ten years coaching the Vikings, eight of them being playoff seasons, but never made it to the Super Bowl. He then took over theArizona Cardinals from 2004 to 2006, to much less success, most infamously in theMonday Night Meltdown, in which he let off a tirade after losing a game. Green had also spent time as an assistant coach with theSan Francisco 49ers and as a broadcast commentator. Green was 67.[49]
Winston Hill
Winston Hill died on April 26. Hill, an offensive tackle for theNew York Jets for 13 seasons and spent the last one with theLos Angeles Rams. He was a four-time Pro Bowler and a three-time Second-Team All-Pro. He also wonSuper Bowl III in 1968 with the Jets. He was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020. Hill was 74.[50]
Buddy Ryan
Buddy Ryan
James "Buddy" Ryan died June 28. Ryan, a head coach and defensive coordinator who served with six NFL teams over the course of his career, was credited with inventing the46 defense. His contributions to the game were considered crucial to helping theNew York Jets secure an upset win inSuper Bowl III and played a key role in theChicago Bears' rout inSuper Bowl XX. His sons,Rex andRob, were both coaches with theBuffalo Bills at the time (a team the elder Ryan turned down a coaching offer from in the early years of his career). Ryan was 85.[51][52]
The 2016regular season featured 256 games which were played out over a seventeen-week schedule beginning on Thursday, September 8, 2016. Each of the league's 32 teams played a 16-game schedule, with onebye week for each team scheduled between weeks 4–13. The slate also featured games onMonday night. There were games played on Thursday, including theNational Football League Kickoff game inprime time on September 8 and games onThanksgiving Day. The regular season concluded with a full slate of 16 games on Sunday, January 1, 2017, all of which were intra-divisional matchups, as it has been since2010.
Scheduling formula
Under the NFL's currentscheduling formula, each team played each of the other three teams in its own division twice. In addition, a team played against all four teams in one other division from each conference. The final two games on a team's schedule were against the two teams in the team's own conference in the two divisions the team was not set to play which finished the previous season in the same rank in their division (e.g. the team which finished first in its division the previous season played each other team in its conference that also finished first in its respective division). The pre-set division pairings for 2016 were:
The complete 2016 schedule was released on April 14, 2016. Highlights of the 2016 schedule included:
NFL Kickoff Game: The 2016 season began with the Kickoff Game on September 8. The 2015 championDenver Broncos hosted and defeated theCarolina Panthers 21–20 in a rematch ofSuper Bowl 50, marking the first time since the Kickoff game was established that it was a rematch of the previous Super Bowl, and the first such meeting of both Super Bowl participants during the first week of the next season since the1970 season (when theMinnesota Vikings andKansas City Chiefs held a rematch ofSuper Bowl IV to kick off the new post-merger era). The Broncos debutedTrevor Siemian as their new starting quarterback; Siemian had been the Broncos' third-string quarterback and ascended to the starting position afterPeyton Manning, their starting quarterback for the 2012 through 2015 seasons, retired following Super Bowl 50, and second-stringerBrock Osweiler left as a free agent for theHouston Texans.
Week 8: TheGreen Bay–Atlanta game, originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m.ET, was switched to 4:25 p.m. ET in place of the originally-scheduledArizona–Carolina game, which was originally scheduled for 4:25 p.m. ET (both games still onFox).[56]
Week 14: TheNew Orleans–Tampa Bay game, originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET, was switched to 4:25 p.m. ET, still on Fox. TheBears–Lions game was "cross-flexed" from Fox to CBS, still at 1:00 p.m. ET.[58]
Week 15: TheTampa Bay–Dallas game, originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET on Fox, was flexed into the 8:30 p.m. ET slot on NBC's Sunday Night Football, in place of the originally-scheduledPittsburgh–Cincinnati game, which was moved to 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS.[59]
Week 16: TheTampa Bay–New Orleans game, originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET on Fox, was switched to 4:25 p.m. ET (still on Fox).[60]
Week 17: TheGreen Bay–Detroit game, which was originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET on Fox, was selected for the final 8:30 p.m. NBC Sunday Night Football game, which for the second consecutive season decided theNFC North division champion. Also, theNew Orleans–Atlanta game and theNew York Giants–Washington game were moved from 1:00 p.m. ET to 4:25 p.m. ET, with both games still on Fox.
^abKansas City clinched theAFC West division over Oakland based on head-to-head sweep.
^abHouston clinched theAFC South division title over Tennessee based on record vs. division opponents.
^abTennessee finished ahead of Denver based on head-to-head victory.
^abBaltimore finished ahead of Indianapolis based on record vs. conference opponents.
^abThe New York Jets finished ahead of San Diego based record vs. common opponents — the Jets' cumulative record against Cleveland, Indianapolis, Kansas City and Miami was 1–4, while San Diego's cumulative record against the same four teams was 0–5.
^When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division.
^abDetroit finished ahead of Tampa Bay for the No. 6 seed and qualified for the last playoff spot based on record vs. common opponents—Detroit's cumulative record against Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and New Orleans was 3–2, while Tampa Bay's cumulative record against the same four teams was 2–3.
^abNew Orleans finished ahead of Philadelphia based on better record vs. conference opponents.
^When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.
The 2016 playoffs began on the weekend of January 7–8, 2017 with the Wild Card playoff round. The four winners of these playoff games visited the top two seeded teams in each conference in the Divisional round games, which were played on the weekend of January 14–15, 2017. The winners of those games advanced to the Conference championship games, which were held on January 22, 2017. The2017 Pro Bowl was held at the recently renovatedCamping World Stadium (the former Citrus Bowl stadium) inOrlando, Florida on January 29, 2017, and aired onESPN.[61]Super Bowl LI was held on February 5, 2017, atNRG Stadium inHouston on Fox.
Cam Newton scored his 44th career rushing touchdown, surpassingSteve Young for the most career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in NFL history. Newton, who had scored a passing touchdown in the first quarter, also surpassed Young for the most career games with both a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown by a quarterback in NFL history, with 32.[65]
Drew Brees tiedPeyton Manning for the most 400-yard passing games in a career (17 overall, regular season and postseason combined) by a quarterback.[66]
Dak Prescott broke the NFL record for most consecutive pass attempts without an interception to start a career, a record previously held byTom Brady with 162 passes.[71] He ran his streak to 176 pass attempts before throwing his first interception.[72]
Drew Brees set an NFL record for the most regular season 400-yard passing games in a career with 15.[74] Brees also became the sixth player to record 50,000 passing yards with one team.[75]
Adam Vinatieri set a new NFL record for most consecutive regular season field-goals made with 43, breaking the record that was held byMike Vanderjagt.[77] His streak ended at 44 after a miss in Week 11.[78]
Matt Ryan set an NFL record for the most consecutive games with at least 200 passing yards, with 46.[79]
Week 8
TheWashington–Cincinnati game ended in a 27–27 tie. It was the first time anInternational Series game had ended in a tie (and the first such game to have gone into overtime). It also was the first time since1997 where two games ended in a tie in the same season.[80]
TheOakland Raiders were penalized 23 times for 200 yards, setting a new NFL record for the most penalties against a team in a single game.[81]
Week 9
TheSan Francisco 49ers set an NFL record for allowing an opponent's running back to run for 100 or more yards in seven consecutive games.[82]
Week 10
Stefon Diggs became the first player in NFL history to have at least 13 catches in consecutive games.[83]
For the first time in NFL history, two different games on the same day, theDallas–Pittsburgh matchup and theSeattle–New England matchup, involved at least seven different lead changes.[84]
Week 11
A single-day record twelvepoint after touchdown attempts were missed, including three in domed stadiums.[85]
Steve Smith Sr. reached 1,000 catches, becoming the 14th player in NFL history to reach this mark.[87]
Week 12
Tom Brady joinedPeyton Manning as the second starting quarterback in NFL history to record 200 combined regular season and postseason wins.[88] The Patriots' victory made them the first formerAmerican Football League franchise to record 500 all-time victories, including playoffs.[89] Brady also became only the fifth quarterback to record 60,000 regular season passing yards, joiningPeyton Manning,Brett Favre,Drew Brees andDan Marino.[89]
Week 13
Tom Brady brokePeyton Manning's record of most career wins by a quarterback (regular season and playoffs) in NFL history with his 201st win.[90]
Larry Fitzgerald became the youngest player in NFL history (33 years, 95 days) to reach 1,100 career catches.[91]
Week 14
Matthew Stafford recorded his eighth fourth quarter comeback win of the season, surpassing the previous record held byPeyton Manning, who led the Indianapolis Colts to seven fourth quarter comeback wins during the 2009 season.[92]
The Patriots advanced to their sixth consecutive AFC Championship Game, surpassing the1973–1977 Oakland Raiders for the most consecutive appearances in a conference championship game in history.[100]
The Patriots accumulated 37first downs in the game, an NFL postseason record.[105]
Tom Brady's 43 pass completions, 62 pass attempts, and 466 passing yards all set new single game Super Bowl records.
For the first time in NFL history, the Super Bowl went into overtime.
After trailing 28–3, the Patriots won the game, 34–28, completing the largest comeback win in both team history and Super Bowl history.
TheAtlanta Falcons became the first losing team in Super Bowl history to return an interception for a touchdown; teams returning an interception for a touchdown in the Super Bowl had been a perfect 12–0.[106]
Pettine compiled a record of 10–22 (.313) in two years with the Browns, finishing in last place in the AFC North both years. After putting up a promising record of 7–9 the season before, the team, marred by the actions ofJohnny Manziel off the field, regressed heavily, forcing the Browns to hire their fifth head coach in eight seasons. The decision to fire Pettine came the day before the end of the regular season.[139]
On January 13, the Browns hired Jackson as their head coach. Jackson spent most of the past two seasons as the offensive coordinator for theCincinnati Bengals and had previously served as head coach for theOakland Raiders.[140]
Philbin compiled a record of 24–28 (.462), with no playoff appearances, in 3¼ seasons as head coach of the Dolphins. The Dolphins were expected to be contenders for a playoff position in 2015 but grossly underachieved, starting the season 1–3, which led to Philbin's firing. Philbin joined theIndianapolis Colts as offensive line coach for 2016. Campbell, the team's tight ends coach, took over for the rest of the season; following the season, he joined theNew Orleans Saints as tight ends coach.[141]
On January 9, the Dolphins hired Gase as their head coach. Gase had spent the past season as the offensive coordinator for theChicago Bears; at age 37, Gase became the youngest active head coach in the NFL.[142]
Kelly was released on December 29, 2015, one week prior to the end of the regular season, following the Eagles being eliminated from playoff contention. He finished with a record of 26–21 (.553) and one playoff appearance (a single loss in 2013) over almost three seasons. Heading into 2015, Kelly made several controversial roster moves as general manager that didn't pan out, leading to his firing. Offensive Coordinator (and formerCleveland Browns head coach) Pat Shurmur served as interim replacement for week 17.[143] Shurmur finished 1–0 as the Eagles head coach, and was a frontrunner in the Eagles head coaching race along withTom Coughlin andDoug Pederson; following the season, he joined theMinnesota Vikings as tight ends coach and later offensive coordinator after the sudden resignation ofNorv Turner.
On January 18, the Eagles hired Pederson as their head coach. Pederson had spent the previous three season as offensive coordinator for theKansas City Chiefs, and also was a former QB for the Eagles.[144]
Smith compiled a record of 8–24 (.250), with no playoff appearances, in two years with the Buccaneers, finishing in last place in the NFC South both years.[147] Smith moved to the college ranks, becoming the head coach of the university ofIllinois Fighting Illini football team.
On January 14, Koetter was promoted to head coach after serving as offensive coordinator with the team since 2015.[148]
Whisenhunt compiled a record of 3–20 (.130), with no playoff appearances, in 1½ seasons as head coach of the Titans. After an impressive opening day win, the Titans lost six straight, resulting in Whisenhunt's dismissal. Mularkey, the team's tight ends coach, took over as interim head coach. Mularkey's previous head coaching experience includes two seasons with theBuffalo Bills (2004–05) and one season with theJacksonville Jaguars (2012).[149] For 2016, Whisenhunt joined theSan Diego Chargers as offensive coordinator.
On January 16, Mularkey shed the interim tag and was hired as the full-time head coach.[150]
Coughlin compiled a record of 102–90 (.531) in 12 years with the Giants, a tenure that included three division titles, five playoff appearances (with a collective record of 8–3 in those games), and two Super Bowl wins (Super Bowl XLII andSuper Bowl XLVI, both over theNew England Patriots). Since winning Super Bowl XLVI, the Giants had missed the playoffs every year and had accrued three consecutive losing seasons immediately prior to Coughlin's resignation.[151] On January 14, McAdoo was promoted to head coach after serving as offensive coordinator with the team since 2014.[152]
After receiving a two-year contract extension prior to the season, Fisher was fired after going 4–9 in the season, and 31–45–1 (.414) in his tenure in St. Louis and Los Angeles. Under his tenure, the Rams never finished better than 7–8–1 (2012) and never reached the playoffs.[153] Fassel, the son of former NFL head coachJim Fassel, has been the Rams' special teams coach since 2012.
Bradley was fired after four seasons and a 14–48 (.226) record with no playoff appearances.[154] Marrone, the Jaguars' offensive line coach, was previously head coach of theBuffalo Bills from 2013 to 2014.[155]
Ryan was fired after two seasons and a 15–16 record with no playoff appearances. His twin brother, assistant head coachRob Ryan, also was dismissed.[156] Lynn began the 2016 season as running backs coach, then moved up to offensive coordinator whenGreg Roman was fired in week 3, then interim head coach after Ryan's dismissal.[157]
The Browns released Ray Farmer after the final game of the 2015 regular season. He had been with the team for three seasons, two as general manager.[139]
As of April 2016, the Browns had not named a general manager; the duties are being filled in the interim by executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown, an attorney by trade who has served in the Browns front office since 2013.
After starting the season 1–6, the Lions fired offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi. One week later, after another loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, owner Martha Firestone Ford fired Mayhew and Lewand.[158]
On January 8, the Lions hired Quinn as their GM. Quinn had spent the previous 16 seasons in various positions in the front office of theNew England Patriots.[159]
The Dolphins fired GM Hickey, who had spent the past two years with the team.[160] Grier, Dolphins' director of college scouting, was appointed as the new GM on January 5, 2016, having worked for the Dolphins organization since 2000. Grier formerly worked in theNew England Patriots front office from 1994 to 1999.[161]
Vice President of Player Personnel Ed Marynowitz was fired alongside head coach Chip Kelly on December 29, 2015. Donahoe last served as president and general manager of theBuffalo Bills from 2001 to 2005 but has largely been out of football in the ten years since his firing from that position.[143]
Roseman, who carried the title of "executive vice president of football operations" while Kelly handled general manager duties in 2015, reverted to his previous general manager duties after Kelly's firing.[143]
The Titans released Webster the Monday following their final game of the 2015 regular season. Webster had spent the past four seasons with the team.[162]
On January 14, the Titans hired Robinson as GM. Robinson had spent the previous three seasons as director of player personnel for theTampa Bay Buccaneers.[163]
TheMinnesota Vikings played their first season atU.S. Bank Stadium in downtownMinneapolis. Construction on the team's new home field in downtown Minneapolis wrapped up at the start of the 2016 season. The new stadium was built on the site of the Vikings' former home, theHubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, which was demolished after the2013 season.[165]
Relocation of the Rams from St. Louis to Los Angeles
The league scheduled a vote on whether to relocate one or two of its existing franchises to theLos Angeles metropolitan area on January 12, 2016. The league set a relocation fee of $550 million for any team that was approved to relocate.[166] On January 4, three teams filed to relocate to Los Angeles: theOakland Raiders,San Diego Chargers, and theSt. Louis Rams, all three of which had previously resided in the city at various points in their history.[167] Despite the Committee on Los Angeles Opportunities recommending the Raiders' and Chargers' joint proposal for astadium in Carson, California, on January 12, the league approved the Rams' proposal to relocate toInglewood after three ballots and gave the Chargers the option to share the Rams' stadium if they so chose. In the first two rounds of voting, Inglewood led Carson 21–11 and 20–12 respectively; by the third ballot, the Rams proposal had received effectively unanimous support from the other owners, with the final vote reaching 30–2 (the Raiders and Chargers themselves casting the lone opposing votes).[168] TheRams played the first four seasons at theLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum, while theirnew stadium was built in Inglewood. The Rams had previously played at the Coliseum during their first stint in Los Angeles from 1946 to 1979.
The Rams and the St. Louis CVC (Convention & Visitors Commission) began negotiating deals to get the Rams' home stadium,The Dome at America's Center (then known as Edward Jones Dome), into the top 25 percent of stadiums in the league (i.e., top eight teams of the thirty-two NFL teams in reference to luxury boxes, amenities and overall fan experience). Under the terms of the lease agreement, the St. Louis CVC was required to make modifications to the Edward Jones Dome in 2005. However, then-owner,Georgia Frontiere, waived the provision in exchange for cash that served as a penalty for the city's noncompliance. The City of St. Louis, in subsequent years, made changes to the score board and increased the natural lighting by replacing panels with windows, although the overall feel remained dark. The minor renovations which totaled about $70 million did not bring the stadium within the specifications required under the lease agreement.
On February 1, 2013, a three-personarbitral tribunal selected to preside over the arbitration process found that the Edward Jones Dome was not in the top 25% of all NFL venues as required under the terms of the lease agreement between the Rams and the CVC. The tribunal further found that the estimated $700 million in proposed renovations by the Rams was not unreasonable given the terms of the lease agreement. Finally, the city of St. Louis was ordered to pay the Rams attorneys' fees which totaled a reported $2 million.
Publicly, city, county and state officials expressed no interest in providing further funding to the Edward Jones Dome in light of those entities, as well as taxpayers, continuing to owe approximately $300 million more on that facility. As such, if a resolution was not reached by the end of the 2014–2015 NFL season and the City of St. Louis remained non-compliant in its obligations under the lease agreement, the Rams were free to nullify their lease and relocate.
On January 31, 2014, both theLos Angeles Times and theSt. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Rams ownerStan Kroenke had purchased 60 acres of land adjacent to theForum inInglewood, California. It was, by the most conservative estimates, sufficient land on which an NFL-sized stadium may be constructed. The purchase price was rumored to have been between US$90–100 million. Commissioner Roger Goodell represented that Kroenke informed the league of the purchase. As an NFL owner, any purchase of land in which a potential stadium could be built must be disclosed to the league. This development further fueled rumors that the Rams intended to return its management and football operations to Southern California. The land was initially targeted for a Walmart Supercenter butWalmart could not get the necessary permits to build the center. Kroenke is married toAnn Walton Kroenke who is a member of theWalton family and many of Kroenke's real estate deals have involved Walmart properties.[169][170][171] On January 5, 2015, The Los Angeles Times reported thatKroenke Sports & Entertainment andStockbridge Capital Group were partnering up to develop a new NFL stadium on property owned by Kroenke. The project included a stadium of up to 80,000 seats and a performance venue of 6,000 seats while reconfiguring the previously approved Hollywood Park plan for up to 890,000 square feet of retail, 780,000 square feet of office space, 2,500 new residential units, a 300-room hotel and 25 acres of public parks, playgrounds, open space and pedestrian and bicycle access. In lieu of this the city of St. Louis responded on January 9, 2015, by unveiling anoutdoor, open air, riverfront stadium that could have accommodated the Rams and anMLS team with the hope that the NFL bylaws would force them to stay. On February 24, 2015, the Inglewood City Council approved the stadium and the initiative with construction on the stadium planned to begin in December 2015. On December 21, 2015, Construction was officially underway at the Hollywood Park site for the stadium. On January 4, 2016, after St. Louis finished last in per-game attendance for the 2015 season,[172] the team filed a relocation application to relocate to Los Angeles and released a statement on their website.
On January 12, 2016, the NFL owners approved theInglewood proposal and the Rams' relocation by a 30–2 vote; the Rams relocated almost immediately thereafter.[173]
On February 19, 2015, theOakland Raiders andSan Diego Chargers announced plans for a privately financed $1.7 billionstadium that the two teams would build inCarson, California if they were to move to the Los Angeles market.[174] Such a move would have marked a return to the nation's second-largest market for both teams; the Raiders played in Los Angeles from 1982 to 1994 while the Chargers called Los Angeles home for their inaugural season in theAmerican Football League. The Chargers were the only NFL team to play inSouthern California at the time (until the Rams moved to Los Angeles in 2016), withSan Diego being a 125-mile (201 km) distance from Los Angeles, and the Chargers counted Los Angeles as a secondary market. The Chargers had been looking to replaceQualcomm Stadium (which, like the Oakland Coliseum opened in the late 1960s) sinceat least 2003, and had an annual out clause in which it could move in exchange for paying a fine to the city of San Diego for its remaining years on its lease. The Raiders, meanwhile, had been operating on year-to-year leases withOakland Coliseum, the stadium it has shared with theOakland Athletics for most of its time inOakland, California, since the last long-term lease on that stadium ended in 2013.[175]
Due to both television contracts and NFL bylaws, had both of thelongstanding division rivals moved to Los Angeles, one of the teams would have been required to move to theNFC West, something that Mark Davis volunteered the Raiders to be willing to do. The Raiders moving to the National Football Conference would have been considered ironic seeing that Davis's fatherAl Davis was a staunch opponent of the NFL during its rivalry and eventualmerger with the AFL. If such a scenario had happened, a NFC West team would have had to take their spot in theAFC West. The early rumor was that theSeattle Seahawks, who played in the AFC West from 1977 to 2001, would have been the favorite to have switched conferences with the Raiders. However, that team'sthen growing rivalry with theSan Francisco 49ers had pointed to either theArizona Cardinals or the then-St. Louis Rams switching conferences to take the Raiders' spot in the AFC West. Had the Rams stayed in St. Louis, switching them to the AFC would have allowed for a yearly home-and-home with the cross-stateKansas City Chiefs.[176] As a portion of the Rams' 2016 schedule was already set because of their International Series appearance, the league could not realign until at least 2017.
On October 23, 2015, Mark Fabiani, Chargers spokesperson confirmed that the team planned to officially notify the NFL about its intentions to relocate to Los Angeles in January during the timetable when teams can request to relocate.[177]On January 4, 2016, both teams filed relocation applications for relocation to Los Angeles. On January 12, 2016, the NFL voted to allow the Rams move to Los Angeles and the Inglewood proposal, effectively rejecting and killing the Carson proposal. The Chargers were then given the option to join the Rams in Inglewood in 2017, with the Raiders having the option in 2018 if the Chargers declined; the Chargers announced on January 29 that they would remain in San Diego for the 2016 season as negotiations continued, but that if negotiations ultimately failed, they had reached an agreement in principle with the Rams to join them in Los Angeles once the Inglewood stadium was complete.[178] The Raiders reached an agreement on another one-year lease extension with Oakland Coliseum on February 11, 2016, keeping the team in Oakland for one more season.
The Raiders, having previously exploredSan Antonio, Texas as a potential relocation site in 2014, moved on to other potential relocation sites after the rejection of the Carson proposal, focusing on a stadium plan in the vicinity ofLas Vegas, Nevada. On August 25, 2016, the Raiders applied for a trademark for the "Las Vegas Raiders" and unveiled artist renditions of the proposed Las Vegas stadium, given the tentative title "Raiders Stadium".[179]
On August 13, theBuffalo Bills andPegula Sports and Entertainment reached an agreement to sell the naming rights totheir stadium to the locally basedNew Era Cap Company, a major headwear supplier to all of the major North American sports leagues. The stadium had previously been known as Rich Stadium from its opening in 1973, then as Ralph Wilson Stadium since 1998. The sale of naming rights came as somewhat of a surprise, as previous ownerRalph Wilson was firmly against selling the naming rights to the stadium and there were few companies in Western New York believed to have the money to pay the naming rights fee for an NFL stadium.[180]
On April 2, the O.co Coliseum, home of theOakland Raiders, reverted to its previous identity as theOakland Alameda Coliseum.OnlineretailerOverstock.com held thenaming rights to the Raiders' home field since2011,[183] but opted out of the naming rights agreement, though it will continue to maintain its corporate sponsorship with the Athletics. The Raiders' home field has undergone numerous name changes in its history, including Network Associates Coliseum (1998–2004) and McAfee Coliseum (2004–2008).[184]
On December 2, 2015, theBaltimore Ravens announced a change in the surface atM&T Bank Stadium from their previous Shaw Sportexe Momentum 51artificial turf to natural Bermuda grass for the first time since the 2001 season, by player preference for a natural surface.[185] The field was replaced beginning on February 4, 2016, timed to be installed by the start of theJohns Hopkinslacrosse season.[186]
After a trial run in 2015, theNFL Color Rush program returned for 2016 with all 32 NFL teams required to participate.[187] To prevent issues withcolor blindness from the previous season, the NFL is scheduled match-ups and where color blindness would not be an issue. The Color Rush games were during theThursday Night Football contests.[188]
TheNew York Giants wore white pants instead of gray for their primary home jerseys.[191]
TheLos Angeles Rams joined the handful of teams (such as the Cowboys and the Dolphins) that primarily wear their white jerseys at home. The change comes as a nod to the team'sFearsome Foursome era (they will play in thesame stadium as those teams) and to accommodate the warmer climate of Los Angeles. The uniform itself will remain the same as it was in the last years in St. Louis.[192]
The Miami Dolphins wore aqua for some of their home games in 2016 that include daytime.[193]
ThePittsburgh Steelers retired their 1934 throwback uniforms after the 2016 season. The Steelers wore them for the last time on October 9, 2016, against the New York Jets.[194]
TheAtlanta Falcons wore 1966 throwback uniforms against the San Diego Chargers and San Francisco 49ers. The throwback uniforms are an altered version of the ones used from 2009 to 2012.[195]
TheWashington Redskins wore burgundy pants with their white jerseys for the first time in five years,[196] and temporarily place gray facemasks on their helmets when wearing the 1937 throwback uniforms.
This was the third season under the league's broadcast contracts with its television partners. This included "cross-flexing" (switching) Sunday afternoon games betweenCBS andFox before or during the season, regardless of whether the visiting team is in the AFC (which CBS normally airs) or the NFC (which is normally carried by Fox).NBC continued to airSunday Night Football, the annualKickoff game, and the primetime Thanksgiving game. ESPN continued airingMonday Night Football and thePro Bowl. During the postseason,ABC simulcasted one AFC Wild Card game with ESPN. One NFC Wild Card game was broadcast on NBC. Coverage of the AFC playoff games was split between CBS and NBC, while the remainder of the NFC playoff games was broadcast by Fox. CBS had exclusive coverage of the AFC Championship Game. Fox had exclusive coverage of the NFC Championship Game andSuper Bowl LI, and it was also onFox Deportes.
A change to the flexible scheduling rule takes effect for the 2016 season: in week 17, any game can be flexed intoSunday Night Football, regardless of how many times a team had been featured on a primetime game that season. This change can, theoretically, allow a game with playoff implications in the final week of the season to be moved to primetime for greater prominence.[197] As in 2015, the NFL will continue the "suspension" of itsblackout policy, meaning that all games will be broadcast in their home markets regardless of ticket sales; Goodell stated that the league needed to continue investigating the impact of removing the blackout rules before such a change is made permanent.[198]
The league's contract with CBS forThursday Night Football expired after the 2015 season and was placed back up for bids.[199] On February 1, 2016, the NFL announced thatThursday Night Football would be shared between CBS, NBC, and NFL Network for the 2016 season. CBS and NBC will each air five games, which will be simulcast by NFL Network, along with an additional eight games exclusively on NFL Network, the production of which will be split between the two networks. Commissioner Roger Goodell that the league was "thrilled to add NBC to theThursday Night Football mix, a trusted partner with a proven track record of success broadcasting NFL football in primetime, and look forward to expanding with a digital partner for what will be a unique tri-cast on broadcast, cable and digital platforms."[200] On April 5, 2016, it was announced thatTwitter had acquired non-exclusive worldwide digital streaming rights to the 10 broadcast television TNF games, including to mobile devices (this is the first time any NFL games have been made available to mobile devices not subscribed toVerizon Wireless, whose NFL Mobile app holds exclusive rights to all other games). This partnership will also include content for Twitter's live streaming servicePeriscope, such as behind-the-scenes access.[201]
After 2015's Bills–Jaguars International Series contest was a modest success, the league was initially expected to make all three of the 2016 London games exclusive to the Internet.Yahoo! Screen, which carried the 2015 contest, shut down in January 2016;[202] the bidders on the three games (which may or may not go to the same broadcaster) includedYouTube andApple TV, both of which bid on the 2015 game but were passed up in favor of Yahoo!'s bid.[203] Ultimately, the league decided not to make the International Series games Web-exclusive, instead focusing its efforts on theThursday Night Football partnership with Twitter.[204]
Mike Tirico, the lead play-by-play announcer forMonday Night Football, announced his departure from ESPN on May 9, 2016; he joins NBC, where he was originally designated to lead the network's broadcast team forThursday Night Football telecasts. Replacing Tirico onMNF isSean McDonough.[205] The move was initially reported in April but not confirmed until the next month.[206] However, shortly before the start of the regular season, the league exercised a clause in its television contract with NBC demanding that any broadcast team that callsSunday Night Football also callThursday Night Football as well, effectively forcingAl Michaels to call both packages unless he and Tirico also split Sundays (this was the scenario that was ultimately chosen; on most weeks when Michaels calls a Thursday game, Tirico will call Sundays).[207] Tirico eventually got his chance the next season, when NBC announced he would replace Michaels after the NFL waived its broadcast team clause.
Tirico's colleague at ESPN,Heather Cox, was also hired by NBC as their sideline reporter forThursday Night Football, afterMichele Tafoya opted out to spend more time with family, and to focus on SNF.
This is also the final seasonChris Berman serves as a studio analyst for ESPN's NFL programming; Berman has been with ESPN since the network's inception in 1979.[208]
This would also end up beingPhil Simms' last season as lead color commentator for theNFL on CBS.Tony Romo, who would retire at the end of this season, would replace Simms as lead color commentator on CBS. Simms will joinThe NFL Today next season.[citation needed]
Meanwhile, at Fox, this would be the last season forJohn Lynch, who would leave to be the next general manager of theSan Francisco 49ers. Replacing Lynch next season, would beCharles Davis who would move up from the #4 team at Fox to join Kevin Burkhardt.
^"Seven From Sunday – Week 5".nflcommunications.com. NFL Communications. October 9, 2016.Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. RetrievedOctober 18, 2016.
^"SEVEN FROM SUNDAY – WEEK 7".NFLCommunications.com. NFL Enterprises, L.P. October 23, 2016.Archived from the original on October 25, 2016. RetrievedNovember 8, 2016.
^"SEVEN FROM SUNDAY – WEEK 11".NFLCommunications.com. NFL Enterprises, L.P. November 21, 2016.Archived from the original on November 22, 2016. RetrievedNovember 23, 2016.
^"THE WEEK THAT WAS – WEEK 16".NFLCommunications.com. NFL Enterprises, L.P. December 27, 2016.Archived from the original on December 28, 2016. RetrievedDecember 28, 2016.
