An 18-Game NFL Season Might Come Sooner Than You Think

The NFL rumor mill has been moving at full speed this offseason. As we’ve moved past free agency and the draft, the talk of the town has become when, not if, the season will expand to 18 regular-season games.

The NFL schedule expanded from 14 games to 16 in 1978. And most recently, the league expanded from 16 games to 17 in 2021. While fans might be overjoyed at the prospect of more football, NFL players generally express a belief that the NFL season is already too long.

The current collective bargaining agreement isn’t set to expire until the end of the 2030 season, but it appears the door has been pried open on expanding to 18 games prior to that.

During a recent meeting with the Washington Post , NFLPA Executive Director Lloyd Howell admitted talks have begun on expanding to an 18-game season. Here’s what Howell had to say:

"I think you all know in the last CBA negotiation, 17 games wasn't a pro forma decision, and actually, whether the CBA ultimately got approved or not kind of hung on that. So the other reason I was excited Roger (Goodell) put it (18 games) out there is we can start that discussion now. We don't have to wait until the week before a vote or even a year before a vote. We can really understand: What are the issues? What's the science behind it? What are the economics behind it?"

That’s a pretty noteworthy sentiment coming from someone who’s representing the best interests of the players. Howell went on to provide more insight on how much “talking” has actually taken place between the league and its players:

"We have talked at a very, very, very high level superficially, with a recognition … about, 'Yeah, this is something that we should be talking about. And we should really kick the tires and understand what else goes into that decision-making process.”

While it’s too early to tell when official negotiations will begin, Howell's comments make the 18-game expansion sound inevitable.