Chris Graythen/Getty Photos
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters on Monday that the league and NFLPA “have not had any formal dialogue” on extending the common season to 18 video games, although there have been preliminary talks.
He additionally indicated that an 18-game common season and two-game preseason is perhaps an possibility sooner or later.
Joe Schad @schadjoe
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says gamers can have a say within the 18-game schedule. Advances in security of recreation have been key. “18 and a pair of could also be a risk,” Goodell says.
“We all know that followers love soccer and need extra soccer, however we’ve to be extremely delicate and sensible about it,” he added.
Including one other regular-season recreation—even on the expense of a preseason contest—would characterize vital participant security considerations. For one, most veterans barely play within the preseason in any respect in an effort to remain wholesome, so taking away such a recreation would not meaningfully stability out the addition of one other common season contest.
The NFL schedule is already rigorous as is, particularly given the addition of shorter weeks attributable to Thursday evening video games. However the league NFL might mitigate among the dangers of an 18-game season in different methods.
For one, the NFL might develop each the lively roster and observe squad, permitting groups extra depth to take care of the trials of an extra recreation. The offseason calendar is also reworked, or the NFL might additionally add a second bye week to the schedule, giving gamers two weeks of relaxation all through the season.
That may develop the common season to twenty weeks, nevertheless, and would possibly power the league to both begin the common season earlier—probably in August—or finish it effectively into January.
Both approach, Mark Maske of the Washington Publish reported Sunday that there’s a “rising conviction among the many NFL’s workforce homeowners” that an 18-game season will likely be agreed upon with the NFLPA earlier than the present labor deal expires in March 2031—and probably effectively earlier than that date.
“That is one thing that I feel has an opportunity of occurring, no query,” an individual conversant in the possession facet of the subject informed Maske. “It simply relies upon. Possibly within the subsequent two to a few years.”
“I do assume it should occur,” a high-ranking official from an NFL workforce added, noting that conversations have been going down behind the scenes. “However there’s numerous negotiating to be achieved on it.”
The present CBA prohibits the league and homeowners from increasing the common season to 18 video games, barring an settlement with the NFLPA. So if enlargement happens earlier than the top of the 2030 season, it should come on the gamers’ phrases.