The NFL is moving closer to officially implementing a 17-game schedule for 2021.

According to Mark Maske of The Washington Post, it's believed that the league will adjust the annual 20-game slate from 16 regular-season games and four preseason games to 17 and three.

Owners previously had been debating whether to move the preseason to three or two games. There were no preseason games in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Before the regular season moved to 16 games in 1978, the NFL played 14 regular-season games and six preseason games. Keeping the preseason at three games keeps the total slate at 20.