In the name of player safety, it seemed like an odd decision by the NFL to increase the regular season schedule from 16 to 17 games a few years back. But it looks like they are doubling down on trying to squeeze the most possible juice out of the season, as it appears that the league is set on expanding the schedule to 18 contests per team.
NFL Could Be Eyeing An 18-Game Schedule
.@AdamSchefter said it’s only a matter of time before the NFL will implement an 18-game season with two bye weeks on the @PatMcAfeeShow ✍️ pic.twitter.com/5GcPyPTEk9
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) July 15, 2024
On Monday, NFL insider Adam Schefter appeared on the Pat McAfee show, and talked about the possibility of the NFL expanding the regular season schedule. He began by saying that the league originally proposed an 18-game schedule when talks began, which was quickly dismissed and replaced with the idea of a 17-game schedule.
Schefter added the following:
It seems like there is a momentum to this. I don’t think it’s real right now, but it’s only a matter of time before it does get real…In my mind, its going to be about money. You’re going to have to dangle enough to the players to make it worth their while
Player Safety Is The Main Concern
Wow, Joe Burrow gives the perfect breakdown for an 18-game NFL schedule:
– Two bye weeks
– Pro Bowl during a league-wide Week 13 bye
– The Super Bowl would fall on the Sunday before Presidents Day.Thought?
(via @PardonMyTake)pic.twitter.com/3Rp2gSAGRs
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) July 8, 2024
One of the reasons that Schefter was posed the questions by McAfee was for a response on the recent comments made by Joe Burrow. The quarterback of the Bengals appeared on a podcast and said that a perfect breakdown for an 18-game schedule would be for each team to have two bye weeks, with one of them being a league-wide bye during Week 13, at which time they would play the Pro Bowl.
Schefter says that the fact that Burrow is commenting on it in the first place gives the potential for a change some added traction.
Much of the pushback on the idea is of course with player safety in mind. Injuries have seemed to become more prevalent in recent years, and roughly 75% of the starting quarterbacks in the NFL missed at least some time during the 2023 season due to certain ailments. Many believe that adding more games would only add to the issue, which is the reason why money will be on the forefront of the future discussions.
