John Mara ‘adamantly opposed’ to NFL’s new Thursday night rule

PHOENIX — In a vote that Giants co-owner John Mara described as “close,” NFL owners on Tuesday rejected a proposal that would have allowed the league to flex Sunday games to Thursday night in the 2023 season.

Mara is aghast that his counterparts throughout the league are even considering an idea that would be so disruptive for fans and so unpopular with players and coaches. 

“I am adamantly opposed to that,” Mara said Tuesday in the lobby of the Arizona Biltmore, where the NFL meetings are being held. “Flexible scheduling, as it is, is really inconsiderate to our season-ticket holders and the people who fill our stadiums every week. People have gotten used to going from Sunday afternoon to Sunday night [when a game is flexed]. That doesn’t mean that they like it. This year, we can be flexed to Monday night, which I think is really inconsiderate to our ticket holders.

“But to flex a game back to Thursday night, to me, is just abusive and I am adamantly opposed to it.” 

Ratings for the “Thursday Night Football” games shown on Amazon Prime Video in 2022 cratered toward the end of the season.

In an attempt to increase those ratings, a proposal was made in which the league could switch out a weak matchup for a more attractive one during weeks 14-17. 

Telling a team 15 days in advance that its Sunday game was now going to be played on Thursday would be difficult for players and coaches.

Mara recognizes that.

He also said he cannot fathom how owners who voted in favor of the flex-scheduling can look their season-ticket holders in the eye. 

“People make plans to go to these games weeks and months in advance,” Mara said. “To, 15 days ahead of time, to say, ‘Sorry folks, that game you were planning on taking your kids to Sunday at 1 o’clock, it’s now going to be Thursday night.’ I mean, what are we thinking about?” 

Mara acknowledged that flexing Thursday night games could increase viewership. 

“I suppose it would, but at some point can we please give some consideration to the people coming to the games?” he said. “I understand the ratings towards the end of the year on Amazon were down a little bit. We probably had some bad matchups. Let’s pick better matchups.” 

The one compromise by the owners is that teams can now be scheduled for two Thursday night games in one season.

Mara does not like that idea, either.

He said injury data shows one Thursday night game in a season does not increase chances of injury for players. 

“But now if you’re gonna add a second one, and it’s gonna be late in the season, when players’ bodies are a little more beaten up and battered than they were maybe earlier in the season, I think we need to look at that,” Mara said.

“I think this should have been vetted with the Health and Safety committee, it should have been vetted with the Competition Committee and it wasn’t. They just tried to push it through.” 

Despite the vote Tuesday, flex scheduling for Thursday night games is not a dead issue.

The owners will revisit the proposal in May.

It is safe to say Mara will not vote for it then, either.