Will the NFL adopt an 18-game schedule, and if so, when? Clarity on that matter could be coming soon. Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports reported that Commissioner Roger Goodell and the league’s owners will prioritize an 18th game during the offseason, starting with the upcoming spring meetings. “Multiple league and player’s union sources have told Yahoo Sports they believe Goodell and the owners will begin to make more assertive efforts at adding an 18th game to the NFL’s regular season starting this summer,” Robinson reported. According to two high-level team executives, they anticipate that discussions will intensify at next week’s spring meetings in Florida.
Robinson additionally outlined where the greatest complications are likely to arise. The most contentious issue among owners is whether the league is open to altering the current revenue split, which allocates 48 percent of all football-related revenue to players, with a maximum split of 48.8 percent based on media rights contracts’ performance. Players have long sought to return to a 50-50 revenue split with the owners, and this would likely become a union goal if they agree to reopen the CBA to add an 18th game.
Union leaders recognize that NFL owners are under pressure. To maximize profits, the league should aim to finalize an 18-game regular season before opting out of its current rights deal in 2029. This shrinking timeline means action is necessary, and thus far, the NFLPA’s openness to an 18th game seems to be diminishing. In the summer of 2024, union executive director Lloyd Howell indicated a willingness to negotiate for an additional game, even calling it “attractive.” However, that stance shifted dramatically in February, reverting to the union’s traditional hardline position against more games.
Howell also mentioned that he’s found no support among players for an 18-game schedule, stating, “No one,” as per Robinson. “For many of the guys, 17 games is too long.” The NFL transitioned to a 17-game schedule in 2021, making it unique among North America’s major professional sports leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL) for having an odd number of regular season games. From 1978 to 2020 (excluding the strike-shortened seasons of 1982 and 1987), the league maintained a 16-game schedule. Other key topics on the agenda for the spring meetings include kickoff rules and the potential ban of the “Tush Push.”
