It’s nearly actually a matter of when, not if, the NFL will transition to an 18-game common season format.
Throughout a current chat with Alex Sherman of CNBC Sports activities, Kansas Metropolis Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes shared his ideas on what seems to be an inevitable shift for the preferred skilled sports activities league in North America.
“I feel that you just’d must discover a solution to have extra bye weeks, extra time unfold out,” Mahomes defined, as shared by Mike Florio of Professional Soccer Speak. “As a result of, I imply, you’ve seen the amount of injuries which have form of piled up there on the finish of seasons, and also you wish to have the perfect gamers enjoying within the largest video games. And so if there have been a solution to get to 18 video games, I’m not — I’m not a giant fan of it. But when there have been a manner, I feel you have to add some bye weeks in there to offer extra time for guys’ our bodies.”
San Francisco 49ers tight finish George Kittle, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and Chiefs head coach Andy Reid are amongst these within the NFL group who’ve campaigned for the league so as to add a second bye week for a 17-game or 18-game common season schedule. Burrow beforehand stated he thinks the NFL ought to a minimum of think about primarily pausing for a complete week throughout seasons for an All-Star/Professional Bowl break, comparable to what’s finished within the NBA, NHL and MLB.
In accordance with the phrases of the collective bargaining settlement that expires after the 2030 marketing campaign, the NFL Gamers Affiliation should consent to the league including an 18th regular-season recreation to future schedules. The NFLPA may ask for a second bye week, expanded rosters, bigger follow squads, a distinct schedule for the offseason program and an elevated share of league income to simply accept a proposal made by the NFL.
A report from earlier this month indicated that discussions between the events concerning an 18-game season will not actually get severe till “a minimum of early subsequent yr.” Reporters, equivalent to Albert Breer of Sports activities Illustrated, have advised that the NFL desires a minimum of yet another regular-season contest for seasons earlier than it could possibly decide out of its broadcast offers following the 2029 marketing campaign.
