The internet lit up over a clean idea for teams that fly overseas called the two byes one flight rule. Give every club 2 byes. Tie the second to any international trip. One side rests before the flight and the other rests after it. The post sparked a busy thread that mixed math, travel pain, and common sense. A fan said, “One team gets bye before and the other gets bye after, so you get at least 1 free week to handle travel.” The mood was practical. People want players fresh, games sharp, and fewer schedule quirks that punish one side.
How the proposal would work in the real world
The core plan is simple. Every team receives 2 byes on the calendar. If a matchup is set in London, Madrid, or another host city, the road begins to split. One team pauses the week before the trip. The other pauses the week after. This keeps preparation time balanced across the matchup, reduces jet lag risk on one sideline, and gives coaches a real window for self scouting. The league already shapes a 3 week window around international games to manage travel. This plan makes that window a rule, not a hope.
Fans also want the league to remember what used to be normal. For years, teams almost always took a bye after London. Then the pattern softened. In 2016 the Colts even asked to skip the post London bye to avoid an early rest and the league agreed. That moment showed that a bye after Europe was once common, and that flexibility arrived later. The larger point in the thread is that a standard rule would put fairness ahead of ad hoc choices.
“Expanding rosters to 60 would not hurt either.”
A fan on the internet.
There are more ideas that fit the same spirit. Some fans want a picture in picture solution for early kickoffs at home so viewers do not miss local games. Others suggest a soft rule that the week before a Thursday game comes with extra rest to limit short week wear. Analysts have argued that a second bye would also help with Thursday Night Football stress and reduce short turnarounds that stack up during the fall.
Why rest and fairness matter in 2025
Research has chipped away at the old myth that any bye week is a magic edge. League researchers show the big advantage faded after 2011 when practice time rules changed. It was prep time, not pure rest, that once drove the bump. That makes how rest is placed just as important as how much rest is given. If the league knows a trip across time zones adds fatigue and disrupts routine, a set second bye becomes a fairness tool as much as a health tool.
The schedule also creates rest gaps that stack up across a season. Independent work each spring ranks teams by net rest days and shows big swings that can tilt preparation. It is not the only factor in results, but coaches feel it week to week. A rule that pairs a flight with a bye helps smooth those swings. It keeps both teams closer on practice time and recovery when the most travel is involved.
The business case is there too. The league is adding new stops, with Madrid confirmed, more London dates, and other markets in the mix. Players and stars such as George Kittle have voiced support for 2 byes as the calendar grows. Reporters have noted that any future move toward 18 games would likely arrive with a second bye as part of the deal. The two byes one flight rule does not wait for that change. It works today. It sets a steady rhythm for coaches, players, and fans while the global plan expands.
