Talk around an 18-game season has started picking up pace among NFL owners lately. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has emphasized that nothing is finalized yet, as there are still important challenges to overcome. Despite this, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, the owner of the Indianapolis Colts, is already advocating for the league to head in that direction sooner rather than later.
“I think, as long as the players want it, which I think they would, because it would mean more revenue, and I think ultimately a better product, I think it’s reasonable and something we should work towards,” Irsay-Gordon said. “I think we do need to look, also, into the way we do our offseason program.”
The preseason games just aren’t as exciting anymore, as teams are being extra careful with their star players, which leads to fewer important plays and less thrill for the audience. Because of this, selling those games has become tougher, both for tickets and general interest. So, adding another regular-season game starts to sound better.
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Irsay-Gordon feels swapped out a less valuable preseason game for something that really matters.
“If we can make it work, I do think that it would be good,” Irsay-Gordon said, pushing the idea of this major NFL adjustment. “Preseason is, as far as the fan product goes, I know the commissioner’s been open that it’s not the best product that we have. I would say, for development of our team, I don’t think we can get rid of it.”
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However, the road is not that simple. Any move toward an 18th game must go through the NFL Players Association. And NFLPA interim director David White has already made the union’s stance clear, stating they have “no appetite for a regular season 18th game,” per reports.
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In fact, White has been consistent on this issue.
“The league has the right to bring any issue they want to the table and, presumably, to propose what they’re willing to give to receive what they want in negotiation, but we’ll see when that happens,” White said back in September 2025. “We haven’t talked about it yet, and it certainly is not inevitable and should not be presented as such.”
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Discussion about the idea of increasing the regular season continues to happen, particularly because preseason games are more difficult to sell, with teams restricting starters in the number of snaps in order to prevent injuries. The inclusion of an 18th regular-season game would serve as an alternative to a low-interest preseason game with a much better ticket on the list. The current 17 games also bring about the issue of scheduling imbalance, where the team has fewer or more home or road games per year.
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That is an unequal power distribution that complicates the process of making long-term financial plans, as the revenues may fluctuate depending on the type of extra game that will be hosted by a team. Carlie Irsay-Gordon took into consideration those issues, but he also put into consideration the physical burden that the additional game would pose to the players. According to her, these risks could be avoided through proper preparation in the offseason, where most of the injuries occur during the preparation leading to the training camp.
“Another game means more impact on the body, so I think we need to just make sure we’re continuing to innovate with our method and approach during the offseason program,” Irsay-Gordon said. “We’ve improved a lot with the ramp-up period to training camp, because a lot of injuries go down there.”
Although no specific strategy has been defined to date, she is confident that the league will be able to change its strategy to ensure that players are better secured. In her case, it is not just about working harder, but it is about being smarter to cope with the demands of the game.
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While owners are considering adding another game, the league can’t proceed without the players’ agreement. Currently, discussions haven’t started officially, and there are understandable reasons for this delay. Still, Roger Goodell feels it’s not over yet.
Roger Goodell talked about an 18-game NFL season
Last month, Roger Goodell talked about the idea of an 18-game season. He mentioned that it’s “not a sure thing” and confirmed that there have been no official talks about it. He also noted that he wants to meet with the leaders of the NFL Players Association before any decisions are made.
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“It’s not something that we assume will happen. It is something that we want to talk about with the union leadership,” he said. “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.”
Still, the thought hasn’t gone away. Goodell has alluded in the past that the possibility of adding new games can bring new opportunities, especially on the global front. In September, he said that another game could allow the league to have international games almost every week, which would enable the NFL to increase its following to even greater levels.
In the meantime, he recognized the challenges before him. He emphasized the safety of the players, having a balanced roster, and an additional bye week as crucial issues that should be discussed.
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“We have not had any formal discussions about it and, frankly, very little, if any, informal conversations,” he said. “I’ve heard people talk about it; it is not a given that we’ll do that. It is not something that we assume will happen; it is something we want to talk about with union leadership.”
Goodell also revealed that the current collective bargaining agreement lasts until 2030, so any changes will need to be discussed and agreed upon. Despite the chatter, the current situation severely limits the possibility of change.