5 stories from 2017 that will shape the future of the NFL

theScore's Jack Browne examines how five of the NFL's biggest stories during the 2017 season will shape the league's future for years to come.

Protests and player power

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Colin Kaepernick started the movement in 2016, and President Donald Trump stoked the fires early in the 2017 season, leading to league-wide protests during the national anthem in Week 3.

Eventually, Trump moved onto other "issues" while Kaepernick remained unemployed - but the effects of the protests will continue to be felt around the league.

Firstly, Kaepernick's lawsuit against the NFL is still ongoing. No one seems entirely certain of the veteran pivot's chances of proving team owners, executives, and coaches colluded against him, but if he somehow pulls out the win, the league's collective bargaining agreement will be void and chaos will likely envelop the NFL.

But even if Kaepernick fails in his lawsuit and never returns to football, his work has helped NFL players begin to realize they have the ability to greatly affect the discourse surrounding the league. The last two years may be looked back on as the period in which players finally asserted themselves and caused significant - and much-needed - changes to how the NFL operates.

What the hell is a catch?

Nearly three years ago, one of the most infamous plays in NFL history happened ...

... and we're still asking the same question on a weekly basis: "Was that a catch or not?"

The NFL's convoluted rulebook has been a major issue for some time, but 2017 may have been the straw that finally broke the camel's back. Week 16 was arguably one of the worst-officiated weeks in NFL history, with major errors seemingly occurring in every game.

The most notable of these was Kelvin Benjamin's overturned touchdown catch on review, despite a lack of sufficient evidence. And this came a week after the fiasco between the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers, where Jesse James's controversial overturned touchdown had massive ramifications for the AFC playoff seeding.

The blowback from these latest incidents should be enough to finally force the league to streamline the rule and make clear what is and isn't a catch. If it does this competently, the response from fans, players, and coaches should be so overwhelmingly positive that other potential significant rule changes should finally gain momentum.

Jerry vs. Roger

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Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and commissioner Roger Goodell engaged in all-out war for the majority of the season. Jones was enraged over Ezekiel Elliott's six-game suspension for domestic violence allegations and attempted to derail Goodell's contract extension talks, even going as far as threatening to sue the league if negotiations didn't stop.

In the end, Jones was forced to back down and Goodell signed his extension through the 2023 season - but don't be under any illusions this is over.

Jones, once a vocal supporter of Goodell, will likely still seek revenge in some form. He made it clear - through public comments and clear media messages - he believes the NFL's front office wields too much power and wants the owners, of whom he is surely the most powerful, to take the wheel once again.

Jones won't be able to get rid of Goodell, but he can make the commissioner's job hell. The NFL was slow to make positive changes when its two most powerful men saw eye to eye; now, all bets are off.

Future of the Panthers

Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson announced his intention to sell the team on Dec. 17 amid workplace misconduct allegations, and it comes at a bad time for the NFL.

The ownership futures of the Tennessee Titans and Denver Broncos are already up in the air, and a handful of other teams could be also be looking at changes. The last thing the league needed was another franchise requiring a course correction.

The Panthers are valued at $2.3 billion by Forbes, and the list of people with enough money (NFL rules requires a team buyer to put down a minimum 30 percent equity of the purchase price) is short.

Sean "Diddy" Combs has thrown his hat into the ring and is reportedly trying to form an ownership group with the help of Kaepernick, and the WWE's Vince McMahon is another name floated as a potential buyer. Diddy would be the league's first African-American owner, and having Kaepernick involved would also be huge considering how many owners likely still hold a grudge.

Beyond replacing Richardson - one of the league's old school-type owners - with fresh blood, the most significant question from any change would be the future of the Panthers in Carolina. The team is tied to the city only through the 2019 season, so the NFL could have its fourth relocation since 2016 on the horizon.

City of Stars shining bright

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The NFL took a massive gamble when it moved not one but two franchises to Los Angeles in the span of one year, despite the tepid fan interest and the highly competitive market.

And the early outlook was bleak. The Rams fell flat on their face during their first year in L.A. last season, while the Chargers' move almost instantly appeared a mistake, with rumblings the team might head back to San Diego (or elsewhere) in the near future.

But the NFL caught the break of all breaks with the Rams, who've transformed into a potential contender under the guidance of first-year head coach Sean McVay. Meanwhile, the Chargers bounced back from a 0-4 start and can make the playoffs as a wild card with some help.

The battle to win L.A. is far from over, and the $2.6-billion stadium being delayed a year to 2020 is a blow. But fielding two bad/boring teams during the first two seasons back may have been fatal for the NFL in the market - now, the league has a chance to cement its position with its newest up-and-coming team and a superstar in Todd Gurley.