Will the NFL become the 'modern NBA'?

With the ever-increasing importance of finding a franchise QB you have to wonder if the NFL will eventually devolve into the NBA...

If the 2027 QB class is anything close to the hype, watch for the tanking by desperate teams.

Tanking has always been a part of the modern NBA, because the math is too simple: forfeit a season now for a better return (an elite draft prospect) later. Elite players win championships and bring about every form of success the league has to offer. At its base, the logic is flawless.

The product, however, is ugly. And right now, as Sam Vecenie recently wrote, we’re witnessing a confluence of ugly we haven’t seen in a while. A quick overview:

The 2026 NBA Draft class is viewed as special, so teams are racing to the bottom of the standings in order to increase lottery odds. BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, Kansas’ Darryn Peterson and Duke’s Cameron Boozer could be superstars. Multiple franchises are willing to forgo competitiveness, or even a shot at the Play-In Tournament, for the chance to draft them.

It’s gotten pretty yucky. The 18-37 Utah Jazz are a prime example, as they’ve been trotting out a decent starting lineup — particularly with the addition of Jaren Jackson Jr. at the trade deadline — and then pulling their stars for the fourth quarter, no matter the game status. Winnable games theoretically become routine losses. The front office “wins.” The same idea goes for teams like Washington and Memphis.

The league, to be fair, has been trying to combat this for years. Lottery odds have shifted to disincentivize the tank. The Player Participation Policy fines teams who sit stars, though the Jazz’s strategy exploits a loophole there. The league even added the Play-In Tournament to increase the playoff field. Remember when the Heat made a run to the finals from the Play-In?

 

I hope not.

 

can't expect all the other players on the team to turn it on and off for one guy for a whole season. the draft is such a hit or miss thing as well. ryan leaf for example. there is no guarantee of success and then have to tell the other 52 guys don't play as hard these next couple of years until we get such and such in the draft.

 

Funny how the hype was in 2025 and now 2026 which has fizzled. Then it will be 2027, we have to wait for 2028, whoops 2029.

Pick one and develop him. We now have an Offensive Head Coach who can.

But "Run it Back Rooney" wants