Roger Goodell says playoff expansion 'likely' to happen at some point

The NFL has considered further playoff expansion since the successful implementation of Wild Card Weekend in 1990, and a move from 12 to 14 teams is looking more and more likely.

Commissioner Roger Goodell told a group of Jacksonville Jaguars season-ticket holders that the move can be expected at some point in the future.

"It will likely happen at some point," Goodell said during the Jaguars Town Hall. "But we want to be really cautious because we really like the balance we have with the importance of the regular season and the postseason."

While increased revenue is a guarantee from the expansion, it hasn't happened yet because a majority of owners are content keeping the low-number status quo when it comes to the playoffs.

"It works so well right now (with 12 teams)," Goodell said. "I think that's what makes the NFL great is every game means so much. You don't ever want to lose that. You don't want to lose the fact that every regular-season game is important. Only having 12 teams qualify, which is the smallest of any of the professional leagues by far, that's a good thing for us."

Unlike regular-season expansion, collective bargaining is not a major barrier for the NFL in this case. The NFLPA would demand a piece of the pie, but that isn't what's holding up the move to more playoff games. Broadcast rights would have to be negotiated, which will likely prevent anything from happening in the 2016 season.

But 2017 might be the year the NFL inches closer to the rest of major sports, with 14 teams playing in the postseason.

- With h/t to CBS Sports