NFL, NFLPA Reportedly Not Expected to Negotiate 18-Game Season Until At Least 2026

The NFL's push for an 18-game season feels inevitable, but it may not be imminent.

According to Mark Maske of the Washington Post, "The NFL Players Association is not expected to engage in formal negotiations with the NFL and its team owners on a potential 18-game regular season and other issues related to the sport's labor agreement until at least early next year."

He added that "next spring or beyond for the onset of bargaining is later than some within the sport had expected and leaves it unclear when an 18-game season could be implemented."

While it's easy enough to see why the NFL and its owners would want to add another game to the schedule—adding another week of stadium revenues and a more robust media package to offer broadcasters in future negotiations is obviously appealing for executives—such a change must be negotiated with the NFLPA.

Understandably, the players have concerns about an expanded season given the health risks involved in what is already a physically grueling schedule.

"Any commentary outside of a formal negotiation is just commentary," NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell told reporters in February. "And it's [the players'] decision as to what they will agree to do or not. Right now, when I've talked to the players over the last two seasons, no one wants to play an 18th game. No one. Seventeen games is already, for many of the guys, too long."

The players could seek a larger revenue share if they relent on an 18th game, or seek other concessions such as a second bye week during the regular season, a shorter preseason schedule and larger roster sizes.

The current collective bargaining agreement between the league and players extends through the 2030 season. That is probably the limit on how long these negotiations would go without resolution, though the two sides could agree to an 18-game regular season at any time via an extension to the CBA.

For now, it appears that such a possibility won't even be discussed until 2026.