NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s proposal to expand the regular season to 18 games has ignited a heated debate within the football community recently.
The shift follows the precedent set in 2021 when the league expanded from 16 to 17 regular-season games. Now, with recent whispers about transitioning to an 18-game season, it seems Goodell wasn’t satisfied with the current number. He wanted to add more excitement and generate additional revenue by increasing the number of games.
. @CharlesRobinson reports that Roger Goodell and NFL owners will discuss the possibility of adding an 18th game to the regular season at next week's NFL Owners Meetings.
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) March 29, 2025
Would you want to see 18 regular season games? 👀 pic.twitter.com/WnG6TIRwgx
What started as mere speculation a few days ago is now gaining massive traction. According to Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports, sources from the league and the NFLPA believe that owners and Commissioner Goodell will begin making stronger efforts to add an 18th game to the regular season starting this summer.
Owners and league executives see this as a “logical step” to make the most money, but players and fans are not on the same page like team owners. They are worried about how it will affect their health and the game in the long term.
Adding a 17th regular season game was stupid & adding an 18th would be no different. An additional bye week ain’t helping a player that tears his ACL either.
— Roque Coral (@roque_coral) March 29, 2025
I want players healthy come postseason. https://t.co/oDAzNzabgF
They should’ve never expanded beyond 16 games, but since 18 seems inevitable, the players shouldn’t agree unless:
— Rob Lowder (@Rob_Lowder) March 29, 2025
– A second bye week is added
– Roster sizes are increased
– One preseason game is removed
In addition to several other concessions that I haven’t thought of https://t.co/QQ9C5Imjbg
No way no how under any circumstances. I don’t like 17 games!
— Ironworker808 (@ironworker808) March 30, 2025
16 was perfect. The rotation of divisions was perfect. They’ve already fucked it up adding an extra game, and for what? Money. Nothing more than making YET ANOTHER DOLLAR. Like 20.5 billion ISN’T EFUCKINGNOUGH!!!
And he should get it. NFL trying to add another game to the schedule to make it 18 but yet crying players safety.
— Mossishere88 (@deeznations) March 29, 2025
NFLPA rejects Goodell’s 18-Game NFL season plan
The NFL Players Association has strongly rejected Commissioner Roger Goodell’s idea to make the season 18 games long.
During a press conference in Super Bowl week, NFLPA Executive Director Lloyd Howell Jr. spoke out against the plan. He made it clear that players do not support playing more games.
Roger Goodell, on questions of an 18-game season: “We haven’t had any formal discussion on an extension.”
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 3, 2025
He says he’s had conversations with the NFLPA on it, but preliminary. And says 18 games as a possibility is because of “the safety of our game.”
“We know that fans love…
“No one wants to play an 18th game. No one… Some guys don’t want to play 17 just given the toll it has on their body and the lack of time to recover. … Seventeen games is so lengthy that you’re still dealing with injuries going into the next season.”
