Could NFL, NFLPA agree on 18-game regular season soon?

Head coaches such as Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs and DeMeco Ryans of the Houston Texans indicated during the NFL owners meetings that they realize it's only a matter of time before the league and the NFL Players Association come to terms on an agreement for an 18-game regular season. 

The two parties may be closer to a deal than some thought they were following Super Bowl LIX.

"Per a source with knowledge of the dynamics, talks between the NFL and the NFL Players Association could begin as soon as June or July," league insider Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported on Wednesday night. 

While the NFLPA must consent to expanding the regular season per the terms of the collective bargaining agreement that expires after the 2030 campaign, Florio noted that owners would eventually lock the players out "until they cry 'uncle' on 18 games." It's thought the league will go to a format of 18 regular-season contests and two preseason matchups per team, as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has made it known he's "not a fan of the preseason."  

Topics that may be discussed between the NFL and the NFLPA "as soon as June or July" could include expanded rosters, bigger practice squads, an altered offseason program, an increased share of league revenue for the players and the league adding a second bye week to the schedule. 

"The reality is that the league and the union can reach any agreement on any terms at any time," Florio added. "They can agree on 18 games without extending the term of the current CBA. They can do a comprehensive renegotiation, including 18 games. ...The sooner the league and the union agree to an 18th game, the more leverage the players will have. And remember this — the dates for the next two Super Bowls are set. Super Bowl LXII in Atlanta does not yet have a firm date. In theory, then, an 18th game could be added as soon as 2027."

It's worth noting that the NFL officially announced the immediate shift to the current 17-game regular-season format on March 30, 2021. The fact that moving the date of Super Bowl LXI, set to occur in February 2027, at some point between now and next March could inconvenience some of the NFL's business partners likely wouldn't stop the league from embracing the increased revenue that would come with expanding the regular season as soon as possible.