Collective Bargaining Agreement Forbids Playing Multiple Games in the Same Week

Published on October 15th, 2021 1:38 pm EST
Written By: Dave Manuel


A bit about the NFL rules in regards to players only being allowed to play once per week. Earlier this week, Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz played on Thursday Night Football against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The next day, Ertz was traded to the Arizona Cardinals, who play on Sunday.

Could Ertz have played two games in the same week?

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A player can play MORE than 17 regular season games over the course of a year, provided that they get traded while their previous team was on a bye week (and assuming that their new team has already had a bye), but players can not play two games in the same NFL calendar week.

When Ertz suited up on the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday Night Football, this was considered the first game of the NFL's calendar week.

If you are active and on a NFL roster when the team plays their game, you are ineligible to play for your new team in that calendar week.

So, you have dozens of instances where NFL players played one game extra over the course of the regular season, as they were traded when their previous team was on a bye week.

This is allowed.

You can not, however, play twice in the same calendar week in the NFL, as the rules forbid it. The NFLPA would never allow it, as there would be significant safety concerns about a player playing twice in the same week, even if they played on Thursday Night Football and then Monday Night Football.

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So, if a player plays on Thursday Night Football and is traded right after the game, they are ineligible to play for the rest of the week (Sunday, Monday).

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