The 2026 Annual League Meeting in Phoenix has largely centered on one question: Should the NFL move to an 18-game regular season? The Dallas Cowboys owner/general manager, Jerry Jones, has been one of the most vocal supporters of Roger Goodell’s idea. This week, he laid out his reasoning, something that didn’t exactly land well with two-time Super Bowl champion Christian Fauria.

“My interpretation of the 18th game would be less preseason games. I like that,” Jerry said, per Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith. “I think that’s great for the players — emphasize great for the players. It increases the viability of the financial aspect, more gate and more money for the players as well.”

Per Ari Meirov, Jerry further added, “I think it’s a better application of their careers and talent. Less preseason, more playing in games that have the right balance of the financial rewards as well as exposure.”

That line of thinking led Fauria to take to social media and push back directly against Jerry Jones.

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“I love how the guy who never played pro sports wants to tell the ones who actually do it what a better application of their talent is.”

League executives and owners have been warming up to the idea of an 18th game for a while now. From their perspective, the argument is straightforward. More games mean more revenue, and under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, players would receive a share of that increase.

But that doesn’t mean players are on board. In fact, the National Football League Players Association has consistently pushed back. The concern isn’t just about workload, it’s about long-term impact. Adding another game to an already five-month season raises the risk of injuries, which can affect both availability during the year and health well after retirement.

The league has floated compromises, reducing the preseason by one game and adding another bye week. Even with that, resistance remains.

Fauria isn’t alone in that stance. David White, who served as the NFLPA’s interim executive director, made the union’s position clear.

“Our members have no appetite for an 18-game regular season. Those injuries they cost players pay, they can shorten careers, they can diminish lifetime earnings. And when your average (NFL) career is already 3-4 years that becomes something that is existential.”

So that’s where things stand. The league already moved from 16 to 17 games in 2021. Now, there’s momentum on the ownership side to go one step further. But until the players and the NFLPA come around, this isn’t just a scheduling change. It’s a negotiation that cuts right to the core of how the game balances revenue with player safety.

The catch, however, is that just like Jerry Jones, multiple league owners have backed up the idea of expansion.

Like Jerry Jones, Robert Kraft supported the regular-season expansion

The debate around expanding the regular season to 18 games, along with increasing the international slate from 10 to 16 games, has drawn mixed reactions across the league. While JC Tretter has openly opposed the idea from the NFLPA  side, several team owners are backing it. Along with Jerry Jones, Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots has also voiced support.

“I like it for the long-term growth and development of the league to keep our league healthy and grow revenue. I think preseason games have not been what it used to be,” Kraft said.

Within that structure, Carlie Irsay-Gordon of the Indianapolis Colts has also come out in favor of the idea, with a key condition tied to player approval.

“If we can make it work, I do think that it would be good. Preseason is, as far as the fan product goes, the commissioner has openly said that it’s not the best product that we have. It is, I would say, for development of our team. I don’t think we can get rid of it. But I think as long as the players want it — which I think they would, because it would mean more revenue — I think [it’s] ultimately a better product. I think it’s reasonable. It’s something we should work toward.”

Even with that support, an 18th game isn’t imminent. The idea is still years away and far from finalized, largely because the NFLPA remains against it. At the same time, that resistance doesn’t necessarily close the door.

There’s precedent here. Players initially pushed back when the league expanded from 16 to 17 games. But that change still went through as part of the 2021 CBA, largely because the financial incentives aligned.

So while players are saying no right now, history suggests the conversation isn’t over. If the league presents a deal that makes sense financially, there’s always a path where opposition softens and the 18-game season eventually becomes reality.