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In 2021, the NFL regular season expanded from 16 games to 17. Now, halfway through the most recent collective bargaining agreement, the NFL has signaled it wants to take that number to 18.
Last July, The Washington Post reported that the NFL and NFL Players Association had already held “high-level discussions” about the issue.
For now, both the league and union are publicly saying an 18-game season isn’t around the corner. During his annual Super Bowl press conference Monday, commissioner Roger Goodell said discussions about additional games would happen “in the context of the broader CBA,” which doesn’t expire until 2031.
While the sides could amend the agreement before then, NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell has shown no interest in raising the issue. At his own press conference this week, he told reporters: “Right now, when I have talked to the players the last two seasons, no one wants to play an 18th game. No one. Seventeen games is already, for many of the guys, too long.”
Front Office Sports spent the week talking to players—current and former—all week on Radio Row in New Orleans to gauge their sentiments. Some expressed concerns about injuries and tired legs, while others said adding a second bye week would be imperative. Several former players said that money will make an 18th game all but inevitable.
Here’s what they had to say. Click the names to watch the full interviews.
Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr.
“Everything is a give and take, right? And so we have to come up with something that makes it worth it for the players. Because obviously football is one of the most physically taxing games, and the toll it takes on a person’s body and stuff like that. My dad played for 11 years, and I can see the toll on him… He played 11 years as a back, so he was carrying the ball and getting hit a lot. And I can see it on him. So we have to come up with something that is fair for both sides.”
Former cornerback Malcolm Butler
“Another game? Better not be no preseason games. No. No. I disagree with that, man. I really disagree with that. We got OTAs [organized team activities], training camp, preseason, the season, practice… I’ll just say this: Bones don’t last for long.”
Rams running back Kyren Williams
“As a player, I see no reason to do that. I don’t feel like as a player it’s smart to do that. When you say you’re trying to prevent injuries and make it a safer league, and then add an extra game, which adds more risk of injury to that season. I don’t see a point for it. I don’t see why. But again, that’s above me. That’s above everything that I do.
“I would hope that money is not the driving force… I hope that people are more aware of the people who are actually going to go out there and be in the game, the players who just got to risk another game before playoffs. And so, I hope money’s not the driving force, but I can’t control that.”
Free agent quarterback Jameis Winston
“I’m a big proponent of, like, I do whatever is required, and I think the NFL has always done a good job of making sure that we put on the best events in the world. So I know that they’re going to come up with a good plan. They’re going to start with safety. They’re going to find a way to keep us safe and probably eliminate another preseason game. But man, as long as I’m in this league, I’m going to respect the shield. And whatever they have built up, we’ve got a lot of people in higher places that are getting paid to do their job, so I’m gonna trust them to do their job no matter what decision that they make.”
Former wide receive Ed McCaffrey
“I get it’s a business. Fans probably like more games, and the NFL will make more money. I think it’s more complicated than just adding another game. I think you’ll probably have to put in an extra bye week—have two bye weeks instead of one. What are you going to do with players’ contracts? Are you going to prorate it and pay them for an extra game on addition to what they’re already making? So it’s not as easy as just adding a game. I’m not against it if they do it the right way.”
Free agent cornerback Kristian Fulton
“I don’t really know how I feel about 18 games because it is a really long season. Guys definitely play through a lot of injuries. I guess it kind of depends on the position that the guy is in… If you’re a starter for 17 games, 18 games is not really a big difference. But it’s a lot of toll on the body, especially if you go into the playoffs. So I’m kind of 50/50 with it.”
“I think it’s inevitable. My understanding is it would be 18 with a two-week bye. So it’d be two preseason, 18 regular season, and two byes. Start the season a little earlier. I think a lot of the players would appreciate that second bye. I think when they went from 16 games to 17 and just left it with one bye, that was a challenge. I think you saw at the end of the season, there’s a lot of teams just limping into the finish and just kind of holding on for dear life. So I think that second bye—to add an extra game, to go from 17 to 18, but go from one to two byes—I think is pretty significant. So I think it’s a matter of time.
“And then, listen, we all know the reality of this world. You going to turn down the money? When that cap continues to go up, and they sell that TV package, or wherever they reshuffle the deck, someone’s going to pay big money for those games. And that money is going to be split between the owners, and it’s going to be split with the players union, however they negotiate the new contract. So it’s going to happen. I think it’s just a matter of the timing.”
“I think, honestly, it comes down to financials. That was the big thing with the 17th game. Did any of us want a 17th game? Absolutely not. But when you put the financials on the table and you look at what the 17th game does for revenue, then ultimately the greater revenue is, the higher our salary cap is.
“Do players like playing on Wednesday? Do they like playing on Thursday? No, they hate it. But let’s show them what it looks like from a revenue standpoint if we don’t. ‘Oh yeah, I’ll play on Thursday.’ That makes a difference. So I think the 18th game is only a matter of time.
“I think they’ve kind of had this vision of what football looks like. The thing about adding an 18th game: Well, when does that put the Super Bowl? Next weekend. What’s next weekend? Presidents Day weekend. Nobody goes to work on Monday. So it’s like a perfect weekend for the NFL to have the Super Bowl.
“They’ll remove a preseason game, which is hilarious to think about. Like, ‘Oh, let’s, let’s trade a preseason game for a regular season game.’ A preseason game is like a week off for me. Now you’re gonna add a full week’s work, and you’re not swapping that out because we’re not getting rid of that week in the preseason. We’re just adding a week on the end. So I think ultimately it comes down to financials.”
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