Wild idea surfaces for how NFL, NFLPA could agree to 18-game regular season

It reportedly isn't "a given" that NFL team owners and the NFL Players Association will reach an agreement for a schedule format of 18 regular-season games and two preseason contests per team this offseason. 

As a result, it continues to feel as if such a shift will occur before the collective bargaining agreement expires in 2031. The terms of the existing CBA dictate that the union must agree to any expansion of the regular season. 

Some players seemingly have "no appetite" to add an 18th regular-season game to the calendar, but Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio shared on Monday that the league could submit an interesting proposal to the NFLPA about possibly getting to 18 games as soon as next year. 

Would NFL players accept a "limit" of how many regular-season games they can play per campaign?

"There’s an easy way to get through to any players who simply don’t want to play 18 games — and who won’t vote to accept another game until they experience the reality of a lockout and the imminent threat of losing game checks," Florio wrote. "Beyond the likelihood of two byes (which the league seems to be generally willing to consider if not accept), there’s an idea rattling around of limiting player participation to 17 games per year."

Florio acknowledged that plenty of questions exist regarding this particular idea. Would quarterbacks, placekickers, punters and players at other positions be exempt from having to basically take one week off per season? How, if at all, would salaries be impacted by players accepting a healthy-scratch week? Will teams be accused of "tanking" a season with a future draft in mind based on when certain players are benched? 

Additionally, it's worth mentioning that the NFLPA could also ask for expanded rosters/practice squads, a different schedule for the offseason program and an increased share of league revenue to accept an 18-game season in 2027. For an article published on March 3, Florio hinted that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell could soon "seek a reduction of the percentage" that the players receive via what is roughly a 50-50 revenue split. 

NFL still has this year in mind for 18-game season

Florio noted that "no specific date has been picked for Super Bowl LXII in February 2028 because of the chance that the 2027 season will include an extra game." One would think the NFL and its many business partners would like to get that date locked down at some point after the NFLPA names a new executive director later this week.