It’s no longer a ‘kept’ secret anymore. -18 games are coming whether players like it or not. Roger Goodell basically confirmed it at February’s Super Bowl press conference. Calling an expanded season a “possibility” while claiming no formal talks had started yet. Two months later, at league meetings, CBS Sports dropped the real bomb. League insiders were calling 18 games “inevitable,” not just possible. Alas, the writing was on the wall. Players are already getting crushed by the current 17-game grind, which jumped from 16 games just three years ago. Add to that, Patrick Mahomes‘ quotes have put a new layer of drama.

Sure, the KC‘s 15 didn’t mince words when asked about the NFL’s rumored 18-game schedule. He said, adding more games means adding more risk. “It’s a little bit more taxing on the guys that play the game,” Mahomes told CNBC’s Alex Sherman. While he didn’t completely shut the door on the idea, his stance came with conditions. More bye weeks, better scheduling, fewer late-season injuries. “You want to have the best players playing in the biggest games,” he added.

But not everyone appreciated Mahomes stepping up to the mic. Rob Parker, known for not holding back, blasted the two-time MVP’s comments. “Here’s my issue… Players, especially Patrick Mahomes, shouldn’t be speaking on this,” Parker ranted on Fox Sports Radio. “This should come from leadership from the Players Association. One voice. Not putting this out about him… I’m not a fan of it.” In Parker’s view, Mahomes wasn’t raising awareness; he was muddying the message. He criticized both the NFLPA’s historical weakness and the inevitability of expansion: “It’s going to happen… when it comes to big money, which is what these owners want.”

Parker didn’t stop there. He warned the NFL could be headed straight into its own load management era, pointing fingers at the league’s double standard. “Don’t come to me—players or league—if you’re talking about, ‘We care about player safety.’ Stop it,” he said. If the league moves forward, he argued, expect top stars like Mahomes to start sitting out games in the name of playoff preservation. “I gotta think for 18 games. 20 games,” Parker added, stressing that money, not safety, is running the show.

Parker’s pessimism isn’t unfounded. The current CBA runs through 2030, and the league already flexed its muscles by adding the 17th game in 2021 — the first expansion in 43 years. Some owners were hoping to roll out 18 games by 2027, but delayed negotiations might push that timeline back. NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell isn’t thrilled either. He told Maske that “no one” wants another game, and the current 17-game grind is already “so lengthy that you’re still dealing with injuries going into the next season,” according to ESPN’s Katherine Terrell.

The league’s got an opt-out clause in their broadcast deals for 2029. Which could be the perfect storm for maximizing revenue. CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reported that the 18th game might involve cutting a preseason game and starting the regular season a week earlier. For now, the 2025 season sticks with the current format, kicking off July 31 with Lions–Chargers action. But the bye week drama isn’t the only controversy swirling around Roger Goodell right now –he’s also playing poker with billion-dollar media deals. The commissioner just admitted the NFL hasn’t decided whether to blow up their current broadcast contracts in 2029, keeping everyone guessing about football’s financial future

Goodell keeps his cards close on media deals

Roger Goodell is playing it coy about the NFL’s massive media rights gamble coming in 2029. The commissioner told CNBC’s Julia Boorstin and Jim Cramer that the league hasn’t “made any decision” on whether to trigger their opt-out clause but having that nuclear option “will be valuable for us.” The league fought hard to get that escape hatch built into their current contracts. It’s basically their insurance policy if the media landscape shifts dramatically or if better deals emerge. Smart business move considering how fast streaming and traditional TV are changing.

The CBS situation has everyone’s attention, with Paramount’s sale to Skydance creating uncertainty. Goodell’s taking a wait-and-see approach, saying they’ll “wait and we’ll see” how the new ownership handles NFL business. He’s not sweating it, though, pointing out the league’s long history with CBS and existing relationships with Skydance. “We have a two-year period to make that decision. I don’t see that happening,” Goodell said about potentially losing CBS as a partner. The commissioner also dropped some interesting nuggets about international expansion, aiming for 16 regular-season games overseas so every team gets a taste of global markets. He announced Carlisle joining Dynasty as authorized private equity partners, giving teams more investment options.

Even with Brian Rolapp leaving for the PGA Tour, Roger Goodell’s confident in his media strategy team. The league’s approach has worked for decades, evolving with changing platforms while maintaining core principles. Bottom line: Goodell’s got leverage, and he knows it. The 2029 opt-out clause gives the NFL maximum flexibility in an unpredictable media world.