Eagles' Saquon Barkley Weighs In On Potential 18-Game NFL Season Amid Injury Concerns

Count Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley among those who are against the NFL expanding to 18 regular-season games.

"I can't speak on how players feel," Barkley told Dan Roberts of Front Office Sports (9:55 mark). "How do I feel about it? I'm not a fan of it. I actually don't agree with it, to be completely honest.

"Yeah, and so if it's up to me and up to my vote on that particular thing that they want to change, I don't think so. … I'm all about players' health. And I don't see how any way adding another game is advantageous to our health for the now and for the future."

He highlighted the physical wear and tear of the sport, including at his running back position.

"But me personally, if you talk about the best way I can answer it for player safety, I don't see how adding another game is good for player safety," Barkley continued. "And that's just kind of my stance on it. But I know some people agree and a lot of people disagree with it."

The comments were particularly notable coming from Barkley, who has dealt with a hamstring injury this season.

Mark Maske of Front Office Sports noted the league and team owners are eventually expected to propose expanding the regular-season schedule to 18 games, although any official discussions are on hold while JC Tretter, who is the union's executive director, talks to players on team visits.

The NFL expanded to 17 games starting with the 2021 season.

In March, ESPN's Stephen Holder reported the NFLPA took a public stance against expanding the schedule to 18 games. However, Holder pointed out it did so before the schedule expanded to 17 games as well before eventually agreeing to a new collective bargaining agreement.

If the league wanted to expand the schedule again before the current CBA expires after the 2030 season, it would have to negotiate with the union and surely offer other concessions.

For now, it is just something that has been speculated about and discussed, and Barkley was clear where he stood.