Cowboys' Jerry Jones Talks 17-Game NFL Schedule Negotiations with Players Union

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Friday that expansion of the NFL regular season to 17 games remains an "item of negotiation" with players.

"It is an item of negotiation, and we are involved in negotiation with the player union. ... I couldn't comment on it because ... I don't want to get into [where players stand on expanding the regular season]," Jones told reporters.

Speculation about expanding the regular season has been ongoing for years, but it doesn't appear much progress has been made in the push from NFL owners. An expansion of the season would have to be collectively bargained, and the league has played 16 games since 1978.

There are 18 months remaining in the current NFL collective bargaining agreement, a 10-year deal struck following a lockout in 2011. 

Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic reported ownership has backed off its initial desire to push for an 18-game schedule, instead looking into the 17-game slate. The league would remove one or two preseason games, which have increasingly seen fewer star players participating.

"I don't see an 18-game schedule—under any circumstance—being in the best interest of our players," NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith told ESPN's Cameron Wolfe in July. "If somebody wants to make an 18-game proposal, we'll look at it. I haven't seen anything that makes me think that it would be good for the players."

Smith has cited safety concerns for players as a reason to reject an expanded season.

"Fans and media discuss what would happen to ratings and revenue or whether [18 games] is a good idea or bad idea. For us, it comes down to who players are as men, and is it good for us," Smith told ESPN. "If a coal miner is willing to spend more time in the hole, does it likely result in more money? Yeah. Is that a good thing for him as a person? Probably not. That's the question nobody confronts. It's easy to say it's more money. But is it good for us? The answer is no."

The NFL and NFLPA have a long time remaining to discuss the details, but it's clear the league will have to make significant concessions for Smith to budge on this issue.