Bengals' Joe Burrow: Pro Bowl Should Be 2nd Bye Week if NFL Has 18-Game Schedule

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow proposed a new Pro Bowl schedule if the NFL decides to implement an extended 18-game regular season.

In an appearance on Barstool Sports' Pardon My Take, Burrow suggested the possibility of a league-wide bye week around Week 13 for the Pro Bowl. NFL teams would also have another bye in the season, giving them two weeks off due to the longer regular-season schedule.

Burrow previously mentioned his idea for multiple bye weeks during 18 regular-season games in an April 26 post on X.

The NFL has experimented with different formats for the Pro Bowl in recent years, switching to a flag football game in 2023 as players typically weren't giving extra effort to run through tackles as well as bring down their opponents and risk an injury that could cost them regular-season time.

The 2024 Pro Bowl format consisted of cumulative scoring during various skill competitions throughout the week before the winning conference was ultimately decided after the flag football contest on Sunday.

After expanding the regular season to 17 games in 2021, the league could add another game. NFL insider Peter King (h/t Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports) wrote in May 2021 that an 18-game season might happen as soon as 2025.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported on June 20 that the NFL Players Association is "already bracing" for the possibility.

In order for players to agree to an extended regular season, the implementation of a second bye week could serve as a compromise. The Pro Bowl would occur several months earlier, while players would have more opportunities to rest.

Burrow has dealt with injuries early on in his career and could benefit from an extra bye. His rookie year in 2020 was cut short after 10 games due to a torn ACL and MCL, while his 2023 campaign ended in Week 11 after suffering a season-ending wrist injury.