It’s inevitable that the NFL will expand to 18 games. At the latest, it’s coming after the current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires. At the earliest, it’ll happen whenever the league and the NFL Players Association agree to do it.
Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports recently reported that the owners will discuss the expansion of the regular season at the upcoming league meetings. It’s no surprise. They want it. And they fully intend to get it. And they need to have a plan for making it happen.
It was no accident that the Commissioner began openly talking about it in recent months. Although NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell spoke out against another game in February, that was nothing more than a belated negotiating posture. (And it might have been too belated; when discussing the topic last year, Howell said, “Who doesn’t want to see more football, myself included?”)
The players have leverage, for now. They don’t have to agree to anything until after the CBA concludes in March 2031. At that point, the owners could (and probably would) lock out the players until they cry “uncle” on 18 games.
But the league would like to get to 18 before the start of the next decade. It was moving in that direction, until the union realized that they were making it too easy. Even if the NFLPA make it harder, there’s still a deal to be made before the CBA expires.
Because there absolutely will be a deal made after it ends.
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