Many have long seen it as a foregone conclusion the NFL’s regular season will expand to 18 games. Moving from the current setup to one including an additional regular season contest (and one fewer week in the preseason) will require an agreement involving the NFL Players Association, though. 
The NFLPA has previously expressed its lack of a willingness to expand the schedule further, citing a number of concerns. The turbulent events of this past summer has left the union with temporary leaders in place, something which will delay negotiations on this front. In any case, interim executive director David White recently made it clear there remains no desire on the part of the NFLPA to explore any additions to the length of the season.
Players have “no appetite” for an 18th game, White said (via CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones). He added the issue of schedule expansion is “not casual” (h/t ESPN’s Brooke Pryor). The current CBA runs through 2030, leaving plenty of time for negotiations between the NFL and NFLPA to take place. Not much has happened since White was named interim leader of the union, and commissioner Roger Goodell said in October things would be put on pause until White’s permanent replacement is in place.
“It is not a given we’ll do that,” Goodell confirmed (via Mike Garafolo of NFL Network) when speaking about the possibility of adding an 18th game. “It’s something we want to talk about with union leadership.”
White’s stance on the matter has remained clear during his time in charge of the NFLPA. Meanwhile, union president Jalen Reeves-Maybin reiterated (via Pryor) an expanded schedule is “not something players are excited for.” Issues such as an additional bye week, roster sizes, travel for international games and playing surfaces are among those most important to the NFLPA. The willingness of the league to make concessions on at least some of those fronts will no doubt be key once formal negotiations begin.
The league’s slate of international contests has seen continued growth over several years, and at least nine games will be played outside of the United States in 2026. The NFL has a clear target in mind which would see every team play one overseas game per year as part of an 18-game schedule. There is still plenty of work to be done to ensure that will be possible, though, with a change in stance on the part of the union representing a notable hurdle.
If for some dumb reason they do this teams should get two bye weekes and the Nfl should start one week early and one week late.
I think that’s the plan, can’t imagine not adding a 2nd BYE week.
2 bye weeks and expanded rosters…the NCAA has already been doing 2 bye weeks for a few seasons now with way less games. Not sure why the NFL hasn’t leaned it to that already?
Greedy owners
Greedy goodell
They may be greedy but the players are just as greedy. As are you and I we all love a dollar, the problem is not the greedy owners it’s more the fact that the the owners realize the players have no leverage. 65% of players are out of the league in 3 years so all the owners have to do is offer a few extra dollars to the cap or raise the base minimum a few thousand and the the rank and file will vote yes. That’s the issue. If the top 35% of players who have significant salaries and would be magnanimous enough to risk a season or few games and would help the players get a real raise or a fully guaranteed contracts that’s the only thing that would help the situation. But of course it wouldn’t happen because the players are greedy and don’t want to risk their own contracts. So the way I see it is that both parties are just focusing on the bottom line and the owners simply have more leverage.
The owners and Goodell will get what they want. They should give 2 byes and one week should be all teams but the league will never take a whole week off.
Why on earth would the entire league take a week off TOGETHER? Did you even think that through?
One overseas game per team and 18 games. Add in playing on short weeks, this is absurd. Really waters down the product we see on Sundays and by the end of the year, inevitably there’s backup QBs playing in games with playoff implications (or even in the playoffs)…no one wants to see that…goes back to the old adage “too much of anything is good for nothing”
They should remove all international games for teams that took tax payer funds or tax breaks to build their stadiums.
Those games belong to Americans first.
If they’re going to move to an 18-game schedule and, possibly, do something like adding another playoff team in each conference to eliminate postseason byes, they should reseed for the playoffs based on record. Winning a division could continue to get you into the playoffs but it shouldn’t get you a home game when there are wildcards with a six-game lead on you.
Have a backbone. Give 18 on the condition of fully guaranteed salaries.
End the decades long ridiculousness that these players don’t have fully guaranteed deals.
It would totally destroy the salary cap. You change that now, 90% of the league would want to redo their deals and then the cap goes bye-bye and then you have the MLB problem.
“not something players are exited for.”
Excited, either
Have them play 52 weeks a year.
On Mondays, all 16 teams from each conference play.
On Tuesdays, all 8 remaining teams play.
On Wed, final 4.
On Thurs, championship games.
On Fri, a new Super Bowl champ every week (your 2027 Week 37 Super Bowl Champion, Indianapolis Colts!!! Buy merch in the link!!! “Sure Tom Brady won 7 but Patrick Mahomes just won his 48th…is he the GOAT?”)
So, they play between 52 and 260 games per year BUT…they get weekends off.
Roger’s master plan.