By Ryan Wolfe on February 2025

This may be an unpopular opinion on my part, but I don’t think the expansion to an 18-game season is the smartest choice by the NFL for their players, nor even the audience themselves. The NFL made $20 billion overall in 2023. I know they want to expand the teams to the international scene but is one more game really going to help that. Player safety looks to be top priority, and adding another game could put them in even more danger. Other problems can include player availability problems going into the playoffs and having enough time to heal and relax in the offseason. As fans, we often ignore all the logistical issues because we only care about the product and its entertainment value. 

First and foremost, player safety has to be examined carefully when considering an 18-game season. A lot of players must balance themselves while training for the 17-game season already, and with adding another game, it could spell disaster for their overall health. Injuries already mount up during the middle of the season as players may sit out for weeks to recover or possibly put on IR (Injured Reserve) for a period of time. The NFL would have to consider a “Load Management” scenario like the NBA uses to make sure players get enough rest. People paying to see the players in person or the audience watching TV at home would be quite upset if their favorite player sat out because he can’t play all 18 games. 

I understand that they would implement 2 bye weeks for teams to rest, but that can cut into the off season if the Super Bowl is then played in mid-February. That would become a logisticalnightmare for players who want to spend time with their families, or rookies going from the draft to OTAs (organized team activities) to training camp and then a long and arduous season. The wear and tear of the NFL season is already enough with 17 games, and the physical punishment is more grueling compared to basketball, baseball, and hockey. Those 3 sports have long and taxing seasons because there’s more flexibility and less punishment for the body. Those 3 sports can be painful and competitive, yes, but football is a tough sport game in and game out.

Another point I would like to discuss is us as an audience. If our favorite players are beaten and battered after the long season and they make the playoffs, would we want to watch the playoffs with half the starters out? The spectacle of the postseason would be in a tough spot because of the long season. The 2 bye weeks might help with healing players, but there is not a lot of time to get back on track. The turnaround is sudden because there’s always another week to play,especially if they want to add international teams from Europe too, how would handle their schedule? Would the European teams need an American home base in case they need to travel around the U.S for away games? There’s plenty of details the NFL needs to work out in the next few years. 

Now, I’m sure my skepticism seems winded and unpopular, but we must think about the minds and bodies of the players. If they’re not in their best shape, how do we expect there to be a good product? Their condition should be top priority over whatever potential money the NFL is tomake. I hope the NFLPA (National Football League Players Association) pushes back on the NFL and their plan to further lengthen the regular season, and reconsider adding another game to the season. They could cut the preseason or lengthen training camp, but those times are pivotal for developing players in the NFL. If players are diminished in the long term, the quality of product will decrease drastically. We need players over profits in this scenario, and if the league can’t understand, maybe the players should step up against the suits.