As expected, Roger Goodell‘s comments about an 18-game regular season have already drawn pushback from the NFL Players Association.
“The length of the season is a CBA negotiated matter, so any commentary outside of negotiation is just commentary,” said NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell (via The Athletic’s Mike Jones). “No one wants to play an 18th game. No one. 17 games to many of the guys is still too long.”
That sentiment was echoed by NFLPA president Jalen Reeves-Maybin (via Mark Maske of The Pat McAfee Show):“I don’t think anyone was really in favor of going to 17 [games].”
Howell confirmed that neither the league nor the NFLPA have addressed the 18-game proposal in negotiations, per Maske. If and when formal talks begin, the players will have to consider several factors, including economic benefits, bye weeks, international travel, and roster size, before agreeing to another schedule expansion, according to Jones
Their fundamental objection will be the increased physical and mental burden of lengthening the already-grueling regular season. Despite Goodell’s promotion of the NFL’s healthy and safety measures, Howell argued that the league has not made enough progress in that arena to warrant an 18th game, per Jones.
However, the NFL seems determined to press on in its quest for an 18-game season, setting it up as a crucial issue for the 2030 CBA. Though, this issue is likely to be headed for true negotiations before that point. This will allow the NFLPA to seek important concessions in exchange for greenlighting a second schedule change in a decade.
I don’t see a need for an 18 game season.
Agreed. 19 makes more sense
Let’s go 20!! Just wipe out preseason!
I like an odd number of games
Lets go 21
goodell=greed… nfl dont need 18 or even 17. 16 was perfect and all these international games are tiring as well. better not add overseas teams
Goodell answers to the owners. He is not the one that wants the 18th game. He gets paid per year not per game. The owners want the 18th game owners=greed.
Goodell works for the owners. They tell him what to do
They should push back. The players can play 16 games and the owners can play the other two, let them get their old fat butts out there. It should be good for a laugh.
Well the NFLPA has already discussed shortening the off-season to accommodate an 18 game schedule so this is nothing but a feeble posturing attempt to get themselves a larger revenue share when the next round of CBA negotiations begin.
Anything anyone makes a point to say to the media, is posturing.
Didn’t see that coming.
“We want you to play more games in a season. We just don’t want to increase your wages or increase the roster size because then we wouldn’t make as much money from the extra games”.
What’s kind of hard to understand is that they want to play more games but they’re unwilling to increase the rosters when the injury situation is the worst it’s ever been, The recovery times are made longer to accommodate the carnage, And they have 16 man practice squads. I know they pay the practice squad guys peanuts but they’re still responsible for them if they get hurt, And if you draft well and have a good practice squad another team can just steal your players. Does that make sense to anyone? Have a 65 man squad, Then you can basically keep the guys you want and develop them in your system. In football more than any other sport playing together is the most important thing. It’s mind boggling. With all the money involved the players are still treated like used diapers. It’s sad.
I think the plan is to increase the roster to 55-57 when the 18 game schedule is adopted. The product isn’t great now but If players rostered 65th were to start getting playing time, you can imagine how horrible the viewing experience would be for fans. Most would just turn off the TV and go play pickleball instead.
Totally agree with you.
Roster size is so important the writer mentioned it twice
Imagine an article with the headline “Owners push back on prospect of illuminating the salary cap”
Ya think? Maybe it could get snuck by on the last page of the next CBA and no one would notice?
Eliminating not illuminating. They would probably notice for sure if it was illuminated
Just add another BYE WEEK. Promotes player safety, and the extra week means everybody can be off the day after the Super Bowl, which is Presidents’ Day.
Man, I can’t for when in a couple of years we have 18 games and Goodell turns that number into 19.
18 game season, no player can be active for more then 17. Simple.
Goodell wants it so he can sell an extra game or 2 overseas.
They play one game a week. Really a bunch of whiners.
The more revenues the games generate the more money the players can negotiate into their labor contract. The players can leverage this extra game to gain more concessions from owners to offset their concerns. Everyone hates pre season games. Let’s start there. Overtime games in the regular season aren’t necessary. Nothing wrong with games ending in ties. No need for practice squads. Suit them up. Teams are paying for them. Let them play. Spreads playing time around, especially in one sided games, protects player health.