NFL could implement 18-game regular season soon

“I would say that there’s a lot of talk about it,” Cowboys owner (and strong proponent of an 18-game slate) Jerry Jones said, via Mark Maske of the Washington Post. “But certainly it’s in the future…. But it wasn’t really a main topic [at this year’s league meetings].”

The league is expected to ramp up efforts on working out an arrangement to implement an 18-game schedule this offseason. Any agreement on that front needs to be collectively bargained, and the current CBA runs through the 2030 campaign. A deal could be reached well before that point, though, and it would come as no surprise if negotiations with the NFLPA picked up with a more firm target in place.

On that point, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reports the 2027 season is viewed as the earliest point at which an 18-game schedule could be instituted. That falls in line with previous indications regarding schedule expansion as well as the views of many other observers. The date for each of the next two Super Bowls is already locked in, but that is not the case for the one which will conclude the 2027 season. Finalizing the details for Super Bowl LXII could very well wait until a new scheduling agreement is in place. The timing of new media rights agreements (which could be re-negotiated after the 2029 campaign) also looms as a factor in this situation.

The possibility of removing one exhibition contest and adding a second bye week to the season has been raised as part of the discussion on scheduling changes. Doing each of those — along with starting the year on Labor Day weekend — would line up the Super Bowl on Presidents Day, something commissioner Roger Goodell has spoken in favor of. In addition to adding a bye week (something viewed as “non-negotiable” from its perspective), the union has been linked to seeking concessions on issues like compensation, travel and roster size to get finalize an agreement.

NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell initially struck a tone suggesting he would be open to discussing an expanded schedule, but more recently he has publicly confirmed there is no appetite for the move amongst players. In spite of that, Jones’ report (which notes no formal presentation was made to owners about a revised schedule) states the matter of 18 games was treated as “a fait accompli” at the league meetings. Alterations to the offseason setup, including a shortened or removed voluntary workout program and a longer training-camp period, could accompany a new schedule format.

Jones adds that tanking remains a potential concern for the NFL. Lengthening the season would open the door to additional games amongst teams eyeing the coming draft more than a competitive end to the campaign. That factor has informed matters like the hesitation to move back the trade deadline, one of many matters which could be subject to change in the event an 18-game schedule were to come into existence. While nothing is imminent on that front, 2027 represents a logical timeframe for all parties involved to keep in mind.