New NFL Rumors on 18-Game Regular-Season Format Surface After 2026 Schedule Revealed

The NFL expanding the regular season to 18 games ahead of the 2027 season isn't a likely outcome, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

"Despite the fact that a date for the game to be played in less than 21 months has yet to be picked, a source with knowledge of the situation tells PFT that it's highly unlikely the season will expand to 18 games by 2027," Florio reported Monday.

While the full 2026 NFL schedule was revealed on May 14, the date of Super Bowl LXII to cap off the 2027 season has yet to be finalized.

Per Florio, NFL owners have yet to pick a date for the Super Bowl to leave the door open for a potential expanded regular season in 2027.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell previously discussed the possibility of an 18-game season on Feb. 2.

"It's not something that we assume will happen," Goodell told reporters at the time. "It is something that we want to talk about with the union leadership. As you know, they're going into a transition, and hopefully that will get solidified this spring. And as they determine their priorities, we are doing the same on the ownership levels so that when we get together, we can address these issues together."

NFLPA executive director JC Tretter recently brought up potential health risks for players with an extra regular-season game.

"There are things that are not good for our players that we need to make sure we're protecting them from," Tretter told Mike Jones of The Athletic. "And as of right now, those are all subjects of bargaining. The league can't expand past 10 international games. The league's at 17 games in the CBA, that is where we're at, and we're going to make sure we defend our players and their health and safety, because our guys feel they know what this feels like."

The NFL is entering its sixth season of the 17-game format, expanding from 16 games ahead of the 2021 campaign.

While an 18-game season remains a possibility, it doesn't appear to be on track to be implemented before 2027.