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The 17-game NFL schedule is still relatively new, but the league has already thought of adding another game. In 2024, talks of a new 18-game NFL schedule came to light, although questions remained of where the added game would come from.
Prior to the Super Bowl, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell spoke about talks on an 18-game schedule: “We haven’t had any formal discussion on an extension,” Goodell said. “We know that fans love football and want more football, but we have to be incredibly sensitive and smart about it.”
Now, with Week 1 of the 2025 season right around the corner, the discussions on adding an extra game got an update from David White, the interim executive director of the NFL Players Association.
“The league has the right to bring any issue they want to the table and, presumably, to propose what they’re willing to give to receive what they want in negotiation but we’ll see when that happens,” White said via the Associated Press. “We haven’t talked about it yet, and it certainly is not inevitable and should not be presented as such.”
So far, the NFL schedule has gone from four preseason games and 16 regular-season games to three preseason contests and 17 games during the regular season.
Previously, Goodell hammered down the idea of going to 18 games: “I’d rather replace a preseason game with a regular-season game any day,” Goodell said, via Brooke Pryor of ESPN. “That’s just picking quality. If we got to 18 and two, that’s not an unreasonable thing.”
As far as the players go, some have pushed back, including Indianapolis Colts center Ryan Kelly, who is on the NFLPA executive committee.
“Eighteen games sounds great when Roger’s on the Pat McAfee [Show],” said Kelly. “Until you’re the one that’s going out there and putting the helmet on for 18 of those games, then come talk to me.”
So, it remains to be seen when or if the NFL will adjust the schedule again, but as of now, there is no clear timeframe on the discussions ramping up.
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