It may happen or it may not. Whether the NFL eventually moves to an 18-game regular season remains uncertain, but earlier this year, the NFLPA made it clear that it was not in favor of expanding the schedule again. Yet, recent history shows the union’s resistance does not always stop the league’s plans. The NFLPA also opposed the transition to a 17-game season back in 2021, but the change was ultimately approved anyway.

Cut to the current scenario, so far this offseason, league owners have discussed the possibility of shifting to an 18-game season during two separate meetings, though no agreement has been reached on implementing it by 2027. Here’s the thing, though: despite two meetings among league owners, no date for Super Bowl LXII has been finalized. And because no date was picked, it leaves room to extend the regular season in 2027. However, a source with inside knowledge told Pro Football Talk that such a change will not take place by 2027.

“The current 17-game season with one bye points to February 13, 2028, as the date for Super Bowl LXII to be played in Atlanta,” PFT‘s Mike Florio reported. “Unless and until the league announces that day as the date for the game, there’s still a chance it will slide deeper into the month to accommodate a longer season.”

This, however, isn’t a shocker if you were aware of CBS Sports‘ Jonathan Jones’ report from last month.

He had mentioned that changes would take time: 2028 would be the earliest possible timeline, and 2031 would be the latest. In that case, Florio’s report aligns with Jones’. So, an 18-game regular season may not be arriving right away, but league owners are clearly laying the groundwork for it.

There is a growing belief that a new collective bargaining agreement could be negotiated before 2030, potentially creating a path for the expanded schedule to finally become a reality. The current CBA expires in March 2031.

That said, what would happen if the league shifted to an 18-game regular season? Well, the NFL will have two byes, two weeks between the conference championships and the Super Bowl (LXII), which would then be played on February 27, 2028. February 20 (Presidents Day weekend) would ideally be the Super Bowl LXII landing spot for an 18-game season, according to Pro Football Talk.

This change could be implemented in 2028, allowing the league to boost its position ahead of the opt-out dates for various broadcasters. These opt-out clauses allow the league to terminate its agreements with all major network partners (CBS, NBC, Fox, and Amazon) after the 2029 season, with ESPN’s opting out one year later in 2030. With this larger revenue compared to the shorter previous years, the NFL could further drive up prices for its broadcasting rights. That would add an extra billion dollars to its revenue.

While it appears to be a matter of when and not how for the NFL’s 18-game expansion, another major challenge faced by the league is the constant push and pull with the NFLPA.

NFL’s 18-game expansion faces challenges from the NFLPA

With the NFL, led by Roger Goodell, wanting to usher in the league’s new 18-game-a-season era, the top brass are facing major issues from the NFLPA, led by NFLPA executive director JC Tretter. Goodell previously discussed the possibility of an 18-game season on February 2 and described it as something they want to resolve with the “union leadership.”

“As you know, they’re going into a transition, and hopefully that will get solidified this spring,” Goodell said back then. “And as they determine their priorities, we are doing the same on the ownership levels so that when we get together, we can address these issues together.”

However, addressing the expansion in its entirety, the former Cleveland Browns center recently stressed the potential health risks for players with an extra regular-season game.

“There are things that are not good for our players that we need to make sure we’re protecting them from,” Tretter said in an interview with Mike Jones of The Athletic in March. “And as of right now, those are all subjects of bargaining. The league can’t expand past 10 international games. The league’s at 17 games in the CBA; that is where we’re at, and we’re going to make sure we defend our players and their health and safety because our guys feel they know what this feels like.”

The NFL’s road to an 18-game season is far from over. With the NFLPA standing firm on player health concerns and no firm dates set, Roger Goodell and the league still have a lot of work to do before any expansion becomes a reality.