At the 2024 NFL Draft, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell got the conversation started on introducing the idea of an 18-game schedule when he appeared on the Pat McAfee Show. His idea was to lower the preseason to two games and add another regular-season game. The league expanded the schedule from 16 games to 17 starting with the 2021 season, and the current CBA doesn’t expire until after the 2030 season, but there is nothing stopping the two motivated sides from coming to the negotiation table early.
Mark Maske of The Washington Post is now reporting that preliminary talks have begun between the NFL and the NFLPA centered on the possibility of an 18-game schedule. NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell says the negotiations haven’t reached a formal stage yet, but there have been “high-level discussions with the NFL” on the topic.
“We have talked at a very, very, very high level superficially, with recognition…about, ‘Yeah this is something that we should be talking about. And we should really kick the tires and understand what else goes into that decision-making process,'” Howell said. “But again, there are other economic, health, and safety matters that also need to be clear to our members before there’s ever an agreement about an 18th game.”
Obviously the question then becomes, what the NFLPA would want in return for agreeing to an extra game that would increase the strain on players’ bodies.
Earlier in the offseason, there were reports of possible changes to the offseason training schedule. Players want more uninterrupted time off in the spring and early summer rather than having to report back to their teams multiple times throughout the offseason for OTAs and mandatory minicamp. The proposal would eliminate those things as we know them now and move those practices to the beginning of training camp for an extended training camp ramp-up period.
Dallas Cowboys co-owner Stephen Jones said recently via Scoop City podcast that they view it as “probably inevitable.” His primary reasoning was centered on the increased revenue, of which the players see roughly half. But there are several negotiation points that could be brought to the table by the NFLPA.
Coaches and league execs don’t seem to be in favor of the offseason changes. The concern is that the dead period will still be while their kids are in school and they won’t have the opportunity for as much family time prior to the start of the extended training camp. Players could also bring things like the franchise tag and other contractual matters to the negotiating table to have more player-friendly policies.
Howell also mentioned practice squad size and roster size as things that could be discussed as well as the economics beyond just adding an 18th game. Presumably there would need to be bigger rosters to account for the increased rigors on players and risk of injury increasing. The idea of two bye weeks has also been pretty popular in this equation.
There is no pressing deadline on these conversations, so if the two sides reach an impasse, they could just defer to the 2031 offseason to work out a new deal. But at least the leadership of both parties seem interested in positioning themselves for an early negotiation. At the very least, they are starting the important conversations now so all sides can be as prepared and informed as possible when it comes time to vote.
