The most compelling drama in the NFL this season unfolded on the field, not off it.
And any thought the league was in jeopardy of losing its spot as America’s favorite sport has been set on the back burner, which is mostly where the domestic abuse cases, national anthem controversies and even the concerns about player safety resided for the bulk of the season.
To be sure, 2019 was far from perfect. Antonio Brown, a handful of overmatched officials and even a cameo appearance by Colin Kaepernick kept a spotlight on the warts this behemoth of a league will always carry. And certainly next Sunday’s Super Bowl LIV in Miami Gardens, Florida, will offer an opportunity to discuss Kansas City Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill’s history with domestic violence, as well as the NFL’s response to it.
For the better part of the season, though, the stickiest topics have included the quarterback-slash-pitchman, Baker Mayfield, and his overrated Cleveland Browns, the underachieving Dallas Cowboys, and the possible end of the New England Patriots’ dynasty, to say nothing of a legion of rising young stars who were scattered throughout the league. It is led by Patrick Mahomes, the 24-year-old quarterback who brought the Chiefs to the Super Bowl – for the first time in 50 years – to face the San Francisco 49ers, the team trying to complete the NFL’s version of a fairy tale by going from 4-12 to hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in the span of a year.
America’s ever-expanding gambling landscape, the continued strength of fantasy football, the league’s steady growth in Britain and other countries, along with a fair share of good games placed in the correct time slots and made available on a growing number of platforms also played roles in keeping eyeballs focused on the games.