The National Football League has faced growing discussions about expanding its regular season from 17 to 18 games, driven by the sport's rising domestic and international popularity.
The league adopted a 17-game regular-season format ahead of the 2021 season under a new collective bargaining agreement, reducing preseason games per team from four to three.[1][2]
The NFL Players Association has opposed further expansion, with executive director Lloyd Howell stating the union has "no appetite for" an 18th regular-season game.[3]
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has voiced support for the change, predicting in 2023 that NFL owners "will eventually go to 18 games sooner than later."[4]
Buffalo Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins, a three-time Pro Bowl selection (2021-2023),[5] told Fox News Digital he views an 18th game as inevitable. "It’s going to happen either way," Dawkins said. He added that debates could extend to 19 or 20 games in the future.[6]
Former NFL Most Valuable Player Cam Newton, who won the award in 2015 as quarterback for the Carolina Panthers,[7] told Fox News Digital that an additional game would strain players' bodies and further dilute preseason contests. "Man, it’s a lot on the body," Newton said, describing the push as "good business" amid the NFL's global appeal, particularly the Super Bowl.[8]
The current collective bargaining agreement, which runs through the 2030 season, maintains the 17-game schedule.[1]
Sources
- NFL Operations, "17-Game Regular Season", accessed October 2024, https://operations.nfl.com/the-rules/changes/17-game-season/
- ESPN, "NFL owners approve 17-game regular-season schedule for 2021 and future seasons", May 20, 2020, https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/29123456/nfl-owners-approve-17-game-2021-schedule-future-seasons
- Associated Press, "Goodell: NFL owners ‘excited’ about possibility of 18-game season", March 20, 2024, https://apnews.com/article/nfl-goodell-owners-meeting-18-games-schedule-cba-0d5f7b2e4c8a9b1d2e3f4g5h6i7j8k9
- Boston Herald, "Patriots owner Robert Kraft: NFL owners will eventually go to 18 games", September 13, 2023, https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/09/13/patriots-robert-kraft-nfl-owners-will-eventually-go-to-18-games/
- NFL.com, "2023 Pro Bowl rosters", accessed October 2024, https://www.nfl.com/probowl/rosters/
- Fox News, "Bills star Dion Dawkins explains his ‘counter’ to potential NFL 18th game: ‘Careers are only getting shorter’", February 2024 (exact date per article), https://www.foxnews.com/sports/bills-star-dion-dawkins-explains-counter-potential-nfl-18th-game-careers-only-getting-shorter
- Pro-Football-Reference.com, "Cam Newton Awards", accessed October 2024, https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/N/NewtCa00.htm
- Fox News, "Cam Newton weighs in on NFL 18th game debate, discusses partnership", February 2024 (exact date per article), https://www.foxnews.com/sports/cam-newton-nfl-18th-game-preseason-devalued-good-business
