NFLPA says "nobody wants" 18 games, but the league clearly doesn't agree

The National Football League has never been bigger and it's very likely that the league is going to grow even more in future seasons when they inevitably expand the regular season to 18 games.

Change is always tough, especially in a sport as physically taxing as football, but when there was criticism over the NFL moving from 16 to 17 games it was ultimately pushed through because it earned the league and players more money.

NFL Players Association executive director Lloyd Howell Jr.: “No one wants to play an 18th game. No one.”

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— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 6, 2025

NFL Players Association executive Director Lloyd Howell Jr. suggests this time is different, and went as far as to say that "nobody wants" an 18th game.

"No one wants to play an 18th game. No one," Howell Jr. said. "Seventeen games is already, for many of the guys, too long. Seventeen games is also so lengthy that you're still dealing with injuries going into the next season. So, there are a variety of issues that hang off of the length of the season before any formal negotiations."

With all due respect to Howell Jr. even if some players don't want an extra game it's pretty clear that the league itself and fans of the sport certainly beg to differ. Television ratings have never been higher, especially as the NFL continues to expand its global footprint with games in countries like Australia, Brazil, England, Germany and Mexico.

If youre wondering when the NFL might go to an 18 game season, 2027 Super Bowl is scheduled a week later on President's Day Weekend. pic.twitter.com/jIXaawSAEu
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) February 4, 2025

League commissioner Roger Goodell has also been on a mission to take over essentially ever day of the week during the NFL season. That includes during the current 2024 season when the NFL schedule multiple games on Christmas Day, a day that typically has been known for the NBA.

There's even speculation that the 2027 Super Bowl, which falls on Presidents Weekend will be the first event that follows an 18-game season. It's the only Super Bowl to this point that's been scheduled a week later than past championship games.

While the current collective bargaining agreement runs until 2030, don't be surprised when owners and players agree on adding an 18th game in the next few years. Attention on the NFL is only going to increase further, and there's no signs of slowing down given the stars involved in the sport.

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