It has been only five years since the NFL introduced a 17-game regular season in 2021. Its main purpose was to boost sales and grow the sport globally, and the 2020 player-league CBA gave owners the legal right to add a 17th game. But now, the urge to expand further has risen again, with NFL owners considering an 18-game season. The timeline? Well, that’s not finalized yet, but retired NFL sportswriter Peter King, who covered the league for over 40 years, is not buying into the idea.
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“I fired a little bit of a warning shot across the bow in this book, in which I said the NFL has got to stop trying to expand the product with the number of games,” King said on the “We Need to Talk” show on September 16. “If you really care about the health and safety of your players, just stop expanding the schedule and be happy with what you have.”
The NFL is not immediately moving to an 18-game schedule, but league owners are working toward that goal. A new CBA could be negotiated before 2030, potentially paving the way for an 18-game season. CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reported in April that expansion would come by 2028 at the earliest, 2031 at the latest.
Teams would receive two bye weeks under the expanded schedule, but each would also be required to play an international game. But no matter what the structure, it is bound to take a toll on players’ health.
In February, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the 18-game scheduling matter at this Super Bowl LX news conference
“We have not had any formal discussions about it and frankly very little of any informal conversations,” said Goodell. “It is not a given that we will do that. It’s not something we assume will happen. It’s something we want to talk about with the union leadership.”
The expected increase in regular-season games presents a hidden challenge that the NFL has quietly evaluated for years. The NBA’s recent regular season could offer a lesson as the NFL considers expanding its schedule. NBA extended its regular season while keeping the same number of games, 82.
If they hop on to the 18-game season train, players will be playing 12.5 percent more games, suffering 12.5 percent more hits. Even though Peter King is in support of the globalization of the game with international games, with an already extended schedule, the jet lag that comes with traveling overseas might turn out to be costly.
We have the best example: the San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams face-off in Australia last week. The Rams arrived in Melbourne only one day before the game, and despite being the favorites, lost 27-7 to the 49ers, who arrived a week in advance to get used to the jet lag, among other variables.
While no confirmation has come from the NFL or Goodell about when the expansion might happen, NFL teams are already divided over the matter.
NFL Owners Split Over 18-Game Schedule Expansion
The idea of an 18-game season did not sit well with Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam. To him, the idea is “a little premature.” Walking on the same line, New Orleans Saints coach Kellen Moore also voiced his displeasure with the idea of such expansion.
“If you do preseason and you go all the way to the Super Bowl, it’s whatever, 23, 24 games,” said Moore (via ESPN). “So, there’s a lot of games on the calendar.”
But then there is the other group in support of a schedule expansion, featuring New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, among others.
“I like it for the long-term growth and development of the league,” Kraft said. “To keep our league healthy and grow revenue. I think preseason games have not been what it used to be.”
Adding a second bye week is one solution Kraft has previously floated to address the injury concerns surrounding an 18-game season. And Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones also believes that an additional week of regular season action and one less preseason game would offer more exposure to players.
“I think it’s a better application of their careers and talent,” shared Jones. “Less preseason. More playing in games that have the right balance of financial reward as well as exposure.”
With more owners focusing on the business side of things, there is a high chance that that agenda takes center stage during conversations with the NFLPA. Whether they reach a win-win situation will depend on how the concerns around workload management are addressed.