Roger Goodell has been eager to expand the NFL regular season from 16 games to 18 game for some time now. Wednesday at the NFL owner meetings, the owners voiced their own excitement over the idea.
NFL Owners Eye 18-Game Regular Season, But Questions Linger
During a five-hour meeting at a posh hotel in downtown Atlanta, the push to add two more games to the regular season picked up steam Wednesday — at least among those who sign the checks.
"I think it's a win-win all around," said Bob Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots.
The owners will have to present a plan to the players union for approval, though they already have the right to expand season as long as they cut down the number of preseason games from four to two. The owners did not vote on the measure as they still want to work out some of the kinks:
Among the issues that still must be resolved: when to start the expanded regular season, possible roster expansion to cope with more games, and changes in training camp and offseason routines to come up with ways for evaluating younger players who wouldn’t have as many preseason games to make an impression.
Players have already begun griping, some even using the “it devalues the regular season” argument, which seems less reasonable than the “our bodies break down exponentially through 16 games, let alone 18 plus the playoffs” argument.
The owners and Roger Goodell want it, so you can be sure they’re going to get it. It’s just a question of when.
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