Overview

• The Cowboys and Packers finished 40-40 on Sept. 28, the highest-scoring tie of the NFL’s overtime era.
• Regular-season overtime is a single 10-minute period in which both teams are guaranteed one possession, and a game ends tied if the score is still even when time expires.
• Despite fan frustration following Sunday night’s result, the league has no plans to outlaw ties at this time, according to new reporting.
• NFL rules analyst Walt Anderson says the philosophy is to include all phases of football in overtime, including kickoffs and punts, instead of adopting a possession-only shootout.
• Ties are uncommon but recurring under modern rules, with 30 since overtime began in 1974 and a new 2025 rule ensuring both teams get the ball to address fairness.