NFL news: Thursday night games can be flexed and Raiders aren’t happy about it

The Las Vegas Raiders just took their first defeat of the 2023 NFL season.

According to several reports, NFL owners voted to allow the flexing of Thursday night games starting this season when they met Monday at their spring meeting in Minneapolis. ESPN reported that owners passed it 24-8. The Raiders were one of eight teams to vote against it, according to ESPN.

It was not surprising the Raiders were against the Thursday flex notion. Earlier Monday, Raiders owner Mark Davis told USA Today that he was strongly against the idea based in large part on how it would adversely affect fans.

Also, earlier this offseason, Las Vegas head coach Josh McDaniels said he saw challenges with the idea. The NFL tabled the idea earlier this offseason, but now it has passed.

There are some guidelines. The Thursday flex window is only spanning weeks 13-17 and no team can play two road games on a Thursday night. The Raiders’ Thursday night game is at home and inside the flexing window, so it could get pushed out. There will also be a 28-day notice and there can’t be more than two Thursday games flexed.

Here is the Raiders’ schedule from Weeks 13-17:

BYE

Dec. 10 Minnesota Vikings 1:05 p.m. FOX

Dec. 14 Los Angeles Chargers 5:15 p.m. Prime Video (Thursday night)

Dec. 25 at Kansas City Chiefs 10 a.m. Nickelodeon

Dec. 31 at Indianapolis Colts 10 a.m. CBS

Thoughts: The Vikings’ game can’t be flexed because they already play a road Thursday night game. The Raiders have a bye and a Thursday game in this window and the Christmas Day game against the Chiefs very likely won’t be flexed. So, likely the only way the Raiders will be involved in this flex this season is if the Chargers’ game is flexed out.