How NFL players could still win with an 18-game schedule

The NFL's inevitable march to an 18-game schedule became much more real on Tuesday.

According to ESPN, NFL Players Association head Lloyd Howell recently told the Washington Post that the NFL and NFLPA "have talked at a very, very, very high level superficially, with a recognition...about 'Yeah, this is something we should be talking about.'"

The current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) expires in 2030, but Howell suggested it could be ratified to add an 18th game.

Of course, such a change comes with significant factors to consider, particularly for the players.

"But again, there are other economic, health and safety matters that also need to be clear to our members before there's ever an agreement about an 18th game," Howell cautioned.

The good news for the players is that they have a legitimate say in how this process plays out, and will have the opportunity to make significant gains in exchange for adding another game to the schedule.

A second bye week should be near the top of the NFLPA's demands to the NFL in discussions over an expanded schedule.

The NFL could adopt an 18-game, 20-week schedule to align with commissioner Roger Goodell's dream of Super Bowl Sunday coming the day before Presidents' Day.

For example, this year, Week 1 is from Sept. 5-9. With a 20-week schedule, the final week of the regular season would be on Jan. 12, and the Super Bowl would follow on Feb. 16, the day before the federal holiday.

The preseason should also be cut down to two games (at most), and changes to roster sizes and the number of practice squad players might be necessary.

In June, Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio reported that the NFLPA wanted to increase the active roster to 55 players (from 53) with "at least 50 in uniform on game day," up from 48, in the event of the league proposing an 18-game schedule.

Playing surfaces should also be a sticking point in negotiations. In February, the NFLPA published the results of a survey showing that "92 percent of players prefer to play on high-quality grass," which data has revealed is safer than turf.

"Players have a 32 percent higher rate of non-contact knee injuries and a staggering 69 percent higher rate...foot/ankle injuries on turf compared to grass," wrote NFLPA president JC Tretter.

If the league insists on adding an extra game, a move that puts profit over player safety, the least it could do is give players the best surface possible to avoid injuries.

The NFL will likely get its 18th game, and it could happen much sooner than expected. While that wouldn't be great for players, if they play their cards right and present a unified front, they can leave the negotiating table with massive wins.