On Tuesday morning, Tom Pelissero reported on X that the NFLPA is finalizing a proposal that would alter the offseason schedule for practices and team activities. It would essentially eliminate some of the voluntary portion of the schedule, freeing up some of the spring to allow for a longer uninterrupted break for veteran players following the season. It would move the OTA schedule to just before training camp.
End of OTAs? The NFL Players Association is working to finalize a proposal to overhaul the offseason starting as soon as 2025, eliminating voluntary on-field work in the spring in favor of a longer training camp ramp-up, with players reporting in mid-June to early July, per… pic.twitter.com/nQa9TmKCGO
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) May 28, 2024
This would be a proposal by one half of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, so the NFL would have to approve for it to actually take effect. No good negotiator is going to pass on the opportunity to get something in return, and one could argue this change would actually hurt the NFL in a small way. With the way the schedule is currently, the NFL has nearly year-round media relevance. Media outlets almost always have something to report on or write about and the major networks like ESPN, CBS Sports, etc. keep football in their daily rotations for pretty much 365 days a year.
Like right now, with the voluntary OTA sessions happening around the league, most of the NFL news is coming from those events. Players and coaches talk to the media and it feeds the beast that keeps the NFL relevant and generating value for its media partners.
So could this be the opportunity that the NFL has been waiting for to pounce on an 18-game schedule? Pelissero followed up his report and said it is not directly related to an 18-game schedule, but I think we can read between the lines here a little bit.
The NFLPA push for a revised offseason isn’t directly tied to an 18-game season. However, it’s worth noting a longer schedule would further shorten the time between the season and training camp — another reason consolidating players’ time off into one long break would make sense.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) May 28, 2024
The NFL expanded the regular season to 17 games in the 2021 season, and has been looking to continue moving in that direction. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show that they are looking to continue expanding to an 18-game schedule, which would include eliminating yet another preseason game.
“I’d rather replace a preseason game with a regular season game any day,” Goodell said. “That’s just picking quality. If we get to 18 and 2, that’s not an unreasonable thing.”
So could the NFLPA’s proposal be the first domino to fall in a chain of events that sees a condensed offseason schedule, one less preseason game, and an 18-game schedule? Many have speculated that an 18-game schedule would also come with an extra bye week for every team. This would elongate the season by an extra week and cut into players’ breaks in the offseason. That would be another reason why moving OTAs closer to training camp could make sense.
It is all a give and take, but I don’t know if this chain of events would necessarily be a “win” for the NFLPA and the players. Less chances for the fringe roster players to prove themselves in the preseason and more player safety concerns with an extra game, all so players can consolidate their time off without having to report back to the team every few weeks in the offseason.
