NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has publicly spoken on the subject of expanding the NFL’s regular season in recent months, bringing discussion of an 18-game schedule to the forefront. NFLPA director Lloyd Howell has been on the job for one year now, and he is open to discussing the matter well before the current CBA expires. 
As things stand, an 18-game schedule could be implemented no earlier than the 2031 season. Significant support exists amongst the league’s owners to arrange for one preseason contest to be replaced by a regular season one well before that point, however. Knowing concessions will need to be made to the player’s union for such a move to be possible, Howell is open to negotiations taking place now to avoid any work stoppages.
“I’m glad Roger said 18. I’m glad that he’s leaning into international [games],” Howell said, via The Athletic’s Mike Jones (subscription required). “I think it gives our guys the opportunity to kind of get their thoughts together, get our position together, to say, ‘This is what and how we’re thinking about it.’
“It makes no economic sense for anyone to have a strike or a lockout. The world’s most popular sports league is going well. How do we keep that going? A lockout is an irrational thing. What’s more rational is, ‘Hey, if I could grow this two times, if I could grow this three times, then we should figure out what the agreements would need to be.’”
A number of issues will need to be addressed for traction to be gained on negotiations between owners and the NFLPA regarding an 18-game arrangement. Howell noted the handling of bye weeks – to little surprise, given the widespread expectation expansion could be accompanied by a second bye week – is one element where concessions could be required. Others include playing surfaces, travel related to international games and general player compensation.
In 2021, the NFL’s preseason schedule was reduced from four games to three in exchange for the regular season adding a 17th contest. That setup will remain in place for at least a fourth year, but if Howell and the player’s union are open to discussing further changes well in advance of the CBA’s expiration, an 18-game arrangement could be hammered out before the end of the decade.
Before everyone piles on the ‘greed’ of Goodell; just remember the players association will sign off on more games for more money as well. Players are just as greedy as owners, simple as that.
Exactly, the day the players stop selling away their health I’ll feel bad for them and stand by them. You have people all over the country working dangerous jobs that impact their health who don’t make 10% of what the average NFL player makes. No player is going to go hungry and needs this extra money.
World’s most popular sports? Football/Soccer/Futbol beats Football hands down.
Hmm, maybe. I say maybe because i really don’t care to research it, but the questions (and I don’t expect you to research it either) are: Revenue for each sport and professional games played in each sport then look at revenue per game.
According to Forbes the NFL is the most profitable sports league in the world. Quick Google search.
“Player safety is the leagues upmost concern.” Pretty soon it’ll be 20 game season w/more n more 4th stringers starting from attrition.
You bring up the obvious change that needs to be made: whether for ill or for good, the rosters and practice squad need to be significantly expanded to accommodate this. The rise of the XFL/UFL is no coincidence now-even with college football turning rapidly into a full-on minor league (much to Florio’s glee), the need for prepared professional depth players will only increase as the season gets longer. I don’t where the “max” lies, but until they reach it, there will need to be more spots for backups and more places to find them.
The rules will continue to change to eliminate contact and preserve the players, but there is a critical mass there, too. Eventually the growth will slow, many years from now in all likelihood, if the desire to avoid injuries takes too much away from the playing of the game. But as long as there are avid fans (like us), the NFL will continue to print money. Our decreased enjoyment still results in profit, after all.
Man, that’s a very cynical yet candid outlook on the NFL’s long-term outlook
AK185 always looks for the best in people so if he is depressed at where the NFL is headed the rest of us should take notice. I’m far more cynical than him and I’m seeing the same disregard for fans. The NFL really doesn’t care about the product they offer…they just want to keep raking in the dollars.
I am to cynicism as darkness is to the shadows. It is my home, and my comfort.
At least, it would be, if Mom QUIT TURNING ON THE LIGHTS GET OUT OF MY ROOM I’M ON PFR
(2) Pre-Season games
(18) Regular Season Games
(2) Bye weeks for all Teams after game 6 & game 12.
Every team plays the same balanced schedule.
I suspect that wouldn’t work because of television contracts. Weekly NFL shows would miss out on viewers during those bye weeks.
But I like Joe Burrow’s pitched idea of having the pro bowl be more of an “all-star break” during the second bye week. I agree that byes should be more evenly distributed
I agree with other comments that it is unlikely the broadcast partners would go for shutting down all games for a particular week for “bye” purposes. There is also the issue today of when a team gets their bye-week.
It would have to constrained a bit for schedule making purposes, but I would like to see bye-weeks picked by each team based on their order of finish from SB Winner to whichever team gets 1st overall draft pick. This would be finish slot not subject to trades.
As it becomes a team’s turn to select, weeks may be unavailable to insure the ability to build a schedule.
This would also become a televised event.