The idea of the NFL eventually moving to an 18-game regular season is no longer a distant thought. It came up again at this week’s annual league meeting, and the tone made one thing clear. It is more about when than how. As a result, a Pittsburgh Steelers legend is urging players to think twice, especially with more money being thrown around.

On his Deebo & Joe podcast, former linebacker James Harrison made it clear that the league will keep pushing for that extra game unless players are ready to push back hard. However, he didn’t just stop there. He explained what that resistance would really take. According to the Steelers great, the NFLPA would need to prepare for a long lockout, which means players must start saving now to survive without pay.

“Now, if that’s the case and you’re willing to do that, your new NFL executive director should be telling his players from this year forward to say 30% this year,” James Harrison said. “So you can last 18 months of a lockout, that it gave you what, 120% of your yearly salary? So you should be able to do that.”

Still, he admitted he has “doubt that is happening,” which is why he offered a more practical path.

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Instead of shutting the idea down, Harrison believes the NFLPA should use it as leverage.

“I would leave the 18 as a negotiating tactic… You know how much you can get.”

From his point of view, if the league wants more games, then players should demand more in return. That includes larger rosters, better minimum salaries, and stronger long-term healthcare. He pointed to the reality that many players face after their careers end.

“After you’ve done playing… once those five years are up… it is hard,” James Harrison concluded.

On the other hand, the monetary advantages are obvious. More games mean more TV contracts and ticket sales, which means increased revenue. Since the players will share in the revenue, the salary cap will rise as well.

However, there are some concerns. The contracts will change in a small way. NFL players receive their paychecks every week during the season. A 17-game schedule means their salary is divided among 18 paychecks. With another game, it could lead to 19 payments unless salaries go up, which would mean each weekly paycheck would be a bit smaller.

However, there is another perspective that can influence both the team and the players. With an extra game added to the season, it might be easier for players to reach their performance goals. Achievements like getting 1,000 rushing yards or hitting double-digit sacks could become more attainable, which might lead teams to rethink how they set up bonuses or increase targets in future contracts.

However, as Harrison mentioned, the NFLPA will play a big role in the whole situation. But right now, they have “no appetite” for the 18th game season.

NFLPA is pushing back against the 18th game NFL season

While the NFL’s push toward an 18-game season keeps picking up pace, the NFLPA’s interim executive director, David White, made that stance clear earlier this year.

“The 18th game is not casual for us,” he said in February.

He pointed to concerns around player health and safety while also raising questions about how longer seasons could impact careers and long-term earnings. White also emphasized that nothing will be rushed into place.

“It’s a very serious issue. It’s something that comes out of negotiation, and nothing will move forward until players have the opportunity to account for all of [the] factors, take that into consideration, and then through negotiation, agree—or not—to the 18th game. But as it stands right now, players have been very clear. They don’t have any appetite for it.”

The current agreement between the players and the league lasts until 2030, but with the buzz around adding an 18th game, it seems discussions might start sooner than planned. For that to happen, players would have to be on board with revisiting the deal earlier than they thought.

Meanwhile, the idea of an extra game with higher pay can intrigue many players. The salary cap for 2026 is expected to be between $301.2 million and $305.7 million, showing a significant increase compared to recent years. Many think that figure could go even higher if the season gets longer.

Ultimately, everyone in the league knows this isn’t an easy change.