Once the NFL went to a 17-game season with three preseason games in 2021, it seemed like just a matter of time before the league went to 18 games with two preseason games.
More games mean more money and make it more easy to play more international games. And while the players aren’t keen on the idea, they usually give the owners what they want in negotiations. In fact, New England owner Bob Kraft said recently it was a foregone conclusion to happen.
But at the Super Bowl, it didn’t sound like it is a sure thing.
First, commissioner Roger Goodell said at his Monday press conference that an 18-game season is not a given and can’t assume it will happen. He said it is something they have to talk to the union about and that they haven’t had discussions about it.
And the next day, David White, the acting director of the NFLPA, said of the players, “They don’t have any appetite for (18 games).”
He brought up the injuries that happened at the end of the year. And more games mean more injuries.
“These injuries, they cost players pay,” he said. “They can shorten careers. They can diminish lifetime earnings.”
He said all this will be a matter of negotiations as they decide whether to agree to 18 games. His comments made it easy to understand why Goodell said it is not a given. Sounds like it is a red line for the players.
And White then added, “But as it stands right now, players have been very clear (they don’t want an 18 game season).”
So the battle lines seem to be drawn. The question now is what the players would want to give the owners an 18th game and whether the owners are willing to give them what they want or just stick to 17 games.
These negotiations in a few years are going to be interesting. The current deal expires in March of 2031 but the owners could call for new talks two years earlier. Whenever they starts, the 18-game season will be a major topic of conversation.