NFL votes to flex ‘Thursday Night Football’ games in Weeks 13-17 in 2023

The NFL will be able to flex ‘‘Thursday Night Football’’ games between Weeks 13-17, the result of an ownership vote at the spring league meeting Monday in Eagan, Minnesota.

The Bears won’t have to worry about it, however. They’re scheduled to appear on ‘‘TNF’’ twice this season, the maximum number each team is allowed. They’ll play at the Commanders in Week 5 and host the Panthers in Week 10.

The NFL must decide to flex a ‘‘TNF’’ game 28 days in advance. Still, the decision was controversial, given the concerns in some league circles for player safety. The Bears were among the teams to vote against the measure, a source confirmed.

Also at the meeting, the NFL approved a rule that will allow each team to carry an emergency third quarterback on game days, provided he is on the 53-man roster, without it counting against its active roster total. He could enter the game only if the top two quarterbacks are hurt.

Nathan Peterman is the leading candidate to be the Bears’ third-stringer.

The NFL assigned two major events, too. Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, will host Super Bowl 60 in 2026, and Green Bay, Wisconsin, will host the NFL Draft for the first time in 2025. Green Bay will be the eighth city to host the draft since it spent two years at the Auditorium Theatre in downtown Chicago in 2015-16. Detroit will host the draft next year.

RB Johnson signs

Former Texas running back Roschon Johnson signed his four-year rookie contract with the Bears at the start of organized team activities. Johnson, a fourth-round pick, will receive about $4.4 million over four years, according to the NFL’s pay structure.

Only Florida defensive tackle Gervon Dexter and Miami cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, both second-round picks, remain unsigned.