A back-burner matter for many years, discussions about an 18-game season did not cross the goal line during the 2020 CBA discussions. A 17-game compromise came to pass. Four years later, however, momentum appears to be building.
Roger Goodell expressed support for another one-game bump to the schedule, noting (via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero) Wednesday the prospect of swapping out a preseason game for an extra regular-season contest — a scenario the longtime commissioner addressed last month — would be “a good trade.” The NFL made this trade in 2021, when it dropped the fourth preseason week for the 17th regular-season game.
Jerry Jones backed Goodell on this front, offering support (via the Washington Post’s Mark Maske) for moving to 18 games. Goodell confirmed another schedule expansion is not currently being discussed but addressed it in a “long-range context.” A report last month suggested the NFL offering significant concessions to the NFLPA in exchange for an extra game could take place well before this CBA expires. The current agreement runs through the 2030 season.
John Mara views most owners as being onboard with an 18th game, but the Giants owner can be counted as a skeptic. Citing player wear and tear, Mara (via ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler) has concerns about expanding the schedule.
The NFL schedule stood at 16 games for 43 years (1978-2020), and its 14-game era lasted 17 seasons before that. The NFL now appears prepared to cap the 17-game schedule at less than a decade. This could become the central talking point when the next round of CBA discussions commence, but judging by this topic’s momentum, it should be considered a good bet owners attempt to make 18 games a reality before this CBA expires.
With this prospect gaining steam, players have naturally been asked about it. The subject of a second bye week has come up. A two-bye setup did not advance too far during the talks regarding a 17-game season, but if this change comes during the 2020 CBA’s lifespan, many players will be holdovers from the 16-game era. Asking players to add two games to a schedule would be new territory. By the time the season expanded from 14 to 16 games in 1978, just one player (ex-Vikings ironman Jim Marshall) was a holdover from the 12-game era. At the rate this is going, many players will be part of the 16-, 17- and 18-game periods.
The NFL tried the double-bye format just once — in 1993 — but TV networks were displeased with a diluted schedule; that may well have impacted talks about two byes going into a 17-game format. With the 18-game season coming up more frequently midway through this CBA, expect a push for a permanent two-bye setup to be part of the NFLPA’s counter — assuming the union will consider expanding the schedule again so soon.
It will take much more than adding a bye week to convince the union on 18 games, of course, but this fight appears on tap in the not-too-distant future.
What about the other 35 bye weeks? 😛
Haha.
MORE FOOTBALL. LETS GOOO.
League maximizes profits @players expense n fans get to watch sloppy, “healthy” 4th string QBs start … YEAH !!!
Add a game and another bye week, extend the season by 2 weeks. Why not?
Have 3 Bye Weeks for better recovery and it extends the season which is a W
Meat wholesaler supports factory farming.
So edgy
All about the mighty $$$
Oh no, how horrible. More football? No way! The league and players will make more money! We can’t have that.
It’s just a constant contradiction. They ‘care’ about players safety and then try to extend the season for $. I rather have 16 hard hitting games than 20 games where the refs have more to do for the outcome than the players… But that’s just me.
I don’t care about the health and safety of the players with an extra game if they don’t. When there were 16 regular season games players complained about potential injuries. The owners offered them enough cash they accepted it. Until the day comes that they put their own health and safety before extra money then it’s on them.
Lol that’s fine and all that YOU don’t care, but the families of the PLAYERS who put the product that you watch while shoving fists full of potato chips down your throat DO care.
I don’t hear the wives and GF’s say ‘Please stop playing!’. They love the wealth as well.
Plenty of NFL players’ family members have stated watching them play by play is grueling, uncomfortable, and scary…
Everyone love’s wealth. Of course they do. I promise you 95% of those NFL wives prefer their husband’s health than the money.
Those family members who already cashed the checks. No one is forcing these guys to even play. This isn’t the draft for the Vietnam war. Some of these guys will have earned tens of millions to do this.
Again, they already play 17 games a year. You’re talking about 1 extra game like we’re sending the players to Guantanamo to be tortured or something. It’s a football game. It’s what they love and get paid millions to do.
Yeah exactly. People are acting like one more game is life or death probably haven’t given a second thought to coal miners in Appalachia making next to nothing in comparison to risk their lives and health.
They didn’t want to play 17 games to begin with, hence the issues of the 2020 CBA. They weren’t willing to sign it UNTIL more money was thrown in. Yes, they cash the checks, and YES they care about their health and safety. Both can be true…..
Both can be true, but when they had to pick one or the other they picked the money. Money is a bigger priority.
Id get rid of the pre season games.
All July is training camp
August is first 4 games
September 4 games
Bye week 1 for everyone first week October
October 3 games
November 4 dames
December 3 games
Bye Week 2 for everyone let players enjoy christmas and new years with families
Get ready for playoffs starting January
Or congifure it so bye week 1 is mid way through the season and last bye week coincides with christmas new years so they can enjoy it with their families.
Well, if you’re gonna have 4 dames in November then you gotta have 4 dames every month.
“it’s not cheating if you’re in a different area code or state”
The 4 DAMES for EVERYONE in November is bound to be popular !!
You know nfl players love their women
Games in August, from a revenue perspective, make sense? No college games to compete with for the dollar.
They should have training camp in June and start the season 4th of July weekend and make it an American explosion of Americanness.
Hate it.
Hated 17.
But time and change are inevitable. Especially when $$$ is involved.
Same here, Bills1. We didn’t need 17 games, and we definitely don’t need 18 games. The players already give enough of their bodies, they shouldn’t be asked to give any more. It also hurts the quality of football, as teams spend the first two games working out things they would have worked out in the preseason.
But, as you said, when the almighty $$$ is involved, the league won’t care. Maybe it might be different if those owners had to go on the field and take a few snaps behind the center.
If they wanto have 18 games increase roster size to 62.
I agree gonna need to expand roster size. Most teams can’t get through season now without injuries to lines.
The NFL should also move the trade deadline even later knowing playoff contenders will be dealing with more injuries. Just look at the Bills’ defense against KC in the playoffs where they ran out of LBs and got very thin in the secondary
I understand needing an expanded roster & I agree, but there’s not enough talent now to support 53 players for the 32 franchises. The added 9 players will be nothing more than USFL level of talent.
We’ll end up watching D2 level games by the end of seasons. Not NFL caliber games.
I agree but there is no choice. Just wait until they add Europe teams.
Better coaching. Good teams seem to get more out of their practice squad than bad teams get from their starters.
imagine not wanting more football. you babies should get off this site
Ya forget about treating the players like humans. Your fat ass needs another drunk Sunday on the couch.
“treat them like humans” lol softie. go bring me another beer
You’ve got enough beer bottles up your ass already. Or are you trying to break your world record?
What are you even talking about? How does adding a single game mean we’re treating them as less than human?
You act like these are field laborers or something and we’re asking them to work through the night. These are ultra competitive professional athletes who are obsessed with playing football and get paid tens of millions of dollars to do so.
Frankly they should be playing 20+ games a year. We can add bye weeks and expand the rosters, which gives even more opportunities to players that would otherwise not make it in the NFL.
It’s an absolute no brainer for fans, players, and the league. Really for everyone that isn’t a contrarian curmudgeon that just wants to hate all change or anything Rodger Goodell supports.
Go set your fantasy football pre-draft rankings. You go work an extra 2 weeks at a physically demanding job while working under a non guaranteed contract while your boss gets rich.
i feel bad for you. go outside. maybe have a beer.
it’s not an extra 2 weeks. It’s an extra 2 hours. And the players will all get a bump in pay just like they did when the season expanded from 16 to 17 games. Obviously this doesn’t happen unless players are getting a raise. That’s a non-starter if they aren’t on board.
Tissue?
You seem triggered because people disagree with your opinion.
More football with more of the best players injured
Just think if they add Europe teams and expand rosters due to longer season players and teams going to be very diluted.
“Jerry Jones backed Goodell on this front, offering support for moving to” 38 games. “Goodell confirmed another schedule expansion… addressed it in a “long-range context.” A report last month suggested the NFL offering significant concessions to the NFLPA in exchange extra games could take place well before this CBA expires.” Twenty games would be traditional football while the other 18 would be FLAG FOOTBALL.
Or just go with two hand touch.
When the league opted to drop the 16 game schedule the plan was always to work towards 18. The NFL is addicted to excess in nearly everything so that is the animal we have to deal with.
Oh no! More football?! As a football fan I hate this for some reason!
You have season tickets for the Arena Football League and Women’s Football Alliance too I’ll bet….lol.
Who cares? They’ll probably sell the rights to some streaming service I won’t see anyway.
StreamEast.com get with the times
I think the NFL needs to implement something like the NBA does with max contracts per position along with the salary cap. Their has become such a disparity between the have and have nots it’s crazy. Decent players can’t find jobs and have to retire because teams have to save every penny to pay QBs 50m/yr*. I know QBs should make the most but the difference between the top and bottom is crazy. The worst is when talented guys can’t find jobs because the top end players completely eat up the cap
For the life of me I cannot understand why anyone is against this. Are you just contrarians? Do you just hate it because Goodell supports it?
Why would someone who claims to be a fan of football not want more football?
What exactly is the downside? A couple more injuries maybe from one extra game? We can add a bye week or two and expand rosters which provides more opportunity for guys who would otherwise be relegated to the practice squad or not even make it in the NFL.
It’s an absolute no brainer for fans, players, and the league. Frankly, I would like to see them play 20+ games a year.
20+ games a year with at least 6 double headers. Make sure another 6 games require air flights across 8 time zones….lol.
They need to expand the roster to 55 or 57 or injuries could become unmanageable.
Goodell: “We’ve decided to implement a new rule where the IR list is reserved for players in wheelchairs or those who have had at least 4 concussions during the past 60 days”.
“Player safety is first n foremost the leagues main concern” … my ass ! Pawns in a game of attrition. Another weeks worth of games n another tit to milk from TV networks.