• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, July 15, 2025

Roger Goodell Keeps Beating the Drum for 18-Game NFL Season

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in an interview with Bloomberg that it would be a “logical step” to expand the season to 18 games.

Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell before the NFC wild card game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Minnesota Vikings at State Farm Stadium.
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Roger Goodell has once again foreshadowed the coming of an 18-game NFL season.

The NFL commissioner appeared on Bloomberg TV and made comments about further expansion of the regular season, while also noting that a preseason game would be eliminated in the process. 

“We would keep within that 20-game framework,” Goodell said. “We went to 16 and four, and now 17 and three. So 18 and two is a logical step.”

The regular season shifted from 16 games to 17 between 2020 and 2021. Goodell’s goal for at least the past 15 years has been to expand to 18 games, so it’s not surprising he continues to bang the drum.

An extra game in the schedule per team would add 16 matchups of extra TV inventory, and the inevitable question becomes what happens with that from a rights perspective. It could lead either to an expansion of the existing rights deal—or the carve-out of a new package.

“It’s inevitable that the NFL will sell a Sunday morning package of international games. They could easily do it with a 17-game season,” ProFootballTalk founder Mike Florio told Front Office Sports. “They’ll absolutely do it with 18. Netflix makes the most sense, given the global reach and different time zones. The next question is how long until 18 becomes 19, and then how long until 19 becomes 20?”

Former Fox Sports executive Pat Crakes agreed that an additional package would likely be created out of an expanded season. “The most probable route is for the league to take the incremental games and create a near weekly package (something like 14 dates) played at international sites,” Crakes told FOS. “That package could be sold to a new partner who really could use the NFL and would pay the league’s asking price, which would be a lot. At the top of the list of potential partners would be companies such as Netflix and WBD, both of which would probably welcome a weekly slate of games and also have strong international distribution that would help rationalize paying some multiple above the current contract’s per game value.”

International growth is a big part of the NFL’s future plans. There have been NFL games staged in Brazil, Mexico, the U.K., and Germany in recent years. Next season, the Dolphins will play in Spain, and it has been rumored the Steelers and Packers could play in Ireland. 

To expand to 18 games, the NFL would need cooperation from the players’ union. In an interview with The Washington Post last July, NFL Players Association executive director Lloyd Howell called the idea “negotiable.”

“We have talked at a very, very, very high level superficially, with a recognition … about, ‘Yeah, this is something that we should be talking about. And we should really kick the tires and understand what else goes into that decision-making process,’” Howell said.

Howell noted there are “economic, health, and safety matters”—as well as determining what percent of players’ annual compensation is guaranteed—the league would need to address before any agreement to add more games to the schedule.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Georgia takes the field for the first half of the SEC championship game against Texas in Atlanta, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.

SEC Lands Starring Role in Netflix College Football Docuseries

Netflix brings its sports storytelling to the heart of SEC football.
Cal Raleigh

Home Run Derby Came Down to a 1-Inch Hawk-Eye Measurement

One expert is skeptical that the measurement could be that precise.
May 15, 2025; Washington, DC, USA; United States Capitol seen as People rally outside the Supreme Court before justices hears oral arguments in Trump v. CASA, Inc. At issue in the case is if the Supreme Court should stay the district courts' nationwide preliminary injunctions on the Trump administration’s executive order ending birthright citizenship.

Pro-NCAA Bill Takes First Step Toward Being Introduced on House Floor for..

It could be the first bill of its kind to make it to the House floor.

Featured Today

May 31, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Sydney McLaughin-Levrone (USA) reacts before the women's 100m hurdles during the Grand Slam Track Philadelphia at Franklin Field
exclusive

Track’s New Money Is Running Into Old Problems

The sport’s big-money era has hit some speed bumps in 2025.
Bobbleheads are seen at Vintage Indy Sports, Tuesday, April 29, 2025 in Speedway. The local sports memorabilia store opened recently.
July 12, 2025

Baseball’s Bobbleheads Are the Center of the Collectibles Universe

Baseball’s most important keepsake drives long lines—and big business.
Rimouski, QC - JUNE 1: Final Game of the 2025 Memorial Cup between the Medicine Hats Tigers and the London Knights on June 1, 2025, at the Colisée Financière Sun Life in Rimouski, Qc.
July 11, 2025

CHL Is Facing a ‘Pandora’s Box’ of Questions Amid NCAA Talent Departure

As players defect to college, the Canadian Hockey League won’t cede ground.
Jun 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) bats during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field.
July 9, 2025

The Torpedo Bat Business Is Still Going Strong: ‘Here to Stay’

Demand for the oddly shaped bats has stayed strong across the sport.
Jul 14, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) bats during the 2025 Home Run Derby at Truist Park.

MLB Enters Crucial Second Half With Big Questions Looming

Media, labor, and Cal Raleigh are among the top second-half storylines.
July 14, 2025

MLBPA Chief Says League Missing Chance to Build On Success

Union leaders again call out perceived moves toward a salary cap.
July 15, 2025

Manfred on State of MLB: Pay Gap Is Growing, Media Future in..

Divisions between management and labor are again laid bare.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
The 153rd Open Championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland
July 14, 2025

Open Championship Considers Ireland: Portrush ‘Will Open’ Gates

Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland is hosting this week’s tournament.
[Subscription Customers Only] Jul 13, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Chelsea FC defender Reece James (24) lifts the trophy as he celebrates with teammates as U.S. president Donald Trump after the final of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium.
July 14, 2025

Four Things We Learned From the $1 Billion Club World Cup

FIFA now turns to U.S. World Cup next summer.
July 14, 2025

NFL’s New Headsets Are Designed to Survive Coach Tantrums

New NFL coaching headsets underwent “extensive drop testing.”
July 14, 2025

MLB’s HR Derby’s $1M Prize Tops Salaries for Three Rising Stars

Three derby competitors could more than double their 2025 salary.