NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has revealed that the proposed changes to the league's playoff system are unlikely to be implemented in time for next season.
Goodell plans to add two extra teams to the post-season campaign in order to increase competition and give more sides a chance of reaching the Super Bowl.
However, with the proposal still in its embryonic stages, Goodell believes that the 2015 season is the earliest realistic possibility for the changes to come into effect.
"I really don't think we could make that change for '14. Our teams go out with ticket packages as early as November, so we really don't have an awful lot of time," Goodell told reporters.
"We want to do it thoughtfully, and we want to do it carefully. So that's going to take some committees to address it.
"Then we have to get together as a league again to do that, and it also includes a lot of negotiation with our broadcast partners, our players and a lot of partners."
The NFL is also believed to be considering reducing the pre-season schedule to three games from four.
Barney Corkhill
