Apr 1, 2025; Palm Beach, FL, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell addresses the media at the NFL Annual League Meeting at The Breakers. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
One of the four major sporting leagues in the United States, the NFL is on a mission to keep evolving the sport of football in an attempt to not only keep fans hooked but also to expand its global reach. Over the past few years, the NFL has made several successful attempts at increasing its value, reach, and with it its revenue to truly become a powerhouse of a league.
Some of the more modern interesting changes that are shaping the league today include the increase in number of regular season games from 16 previously to 17 since the start of the 2021 season, followed by the league introducing games on holidays such as the ‘Halloween Day Game’ and the ‘Black Friday Game,’ bringing back the Christmas Day double-header, and more.
The NFL has also expanded its broadcasting especially with Amazon and Netflix getting into the mix. Thus, plenty of evolution in the league even on the technological front is helping fans to remain engaged with the sport. However, there is no room for complacency as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has been working on an 18-game regular season structure in a bid to further enhance the league’s market.
What Is the 18-Game Season Proposal?
In the event the NFL decided to go ahead with the 18-game season, a proposal of how it could look has been put forth. The key points of the proposal include 2 bye weeks for each team stretching the regular season to 20 weeks, and a reduction in the preseason games limiting each team to just 2 games. Moreover, week 1 shall begin on Labor Day weekend, while the Super Bowl is proposed to be held on President’s Day weekend.
Looking at the proposal, the reduction of preseason from 3 to 2 may not be in the best interest of players, although for fans it would make more sense. With regard to the players, three games provide them more opportunity to get ready for the grueling regular season, while it also allows rookies and newly joined players to ease into the system. Additionally, coaches get one more game to try and test certain areas that may need improvement.
Starting the season on Labor Day weekend and keeping the Super Bowl on President’s Day weekend could be beneficial for fans as they will get to enjoy the big games without the worry of heading for work the next day. Since the Super Bowl is played on Sunday, if it is kept on President’s Day weekend then (Sunday), the next day is a National holiday.
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What are the upsides to an 18-game NFL season?
As is the case with every new change, there will always be advantages and disadvantages. Starting with the positives first, the fans will be treated to more football games, the league will see increased revenue, and there can also be an increased reach in the global markets.
More Football for the Fans
When the NFL shifted from 16 games to 17 games in the regular season, the fans were thrilled to witness more pertinent football action even if it meant dropping one preseason game. Meaningful games are always more entertaining for fans than the ones that have no meaning. So, if the league adopts the 18-game season, the fans will most certainly be happier.
Increased League Revenue With Broadcasting Rights
With happier fans comes increased ticket sales and more broadcasting deals all leading to increased revenue for the league. All parties related to the NFL from the league executives to the owners, coaches, players, and more will directly benefit financially from the increased revenue the additional game will bring.
Increased Number of International Games
The NFL has been pushing extensively over the past few seasons to reach the masses on a truly global level. For instance, although games have been played overseas for a number of seasons now, especially in the UK, multiple countries are starting to see NFL action. Germany has been hosting games since 2022, while Brazil hosted its first game in 2024.
This season, Spain and Ireland will be joining as well and Australia is scheduled to follow suit in 2026. One more week of games can help the league plan for additional international games each year leading to much more marketability and reach.
What are the downsides to an 18-game NFL season?
Obviously, there are also some concerns with the proposed 18-game season. Player safety and the lack of meaningful games are at the top of the list.
Player Safety
Football in general is a highly competitive and physical sport and the NFL is the highest level where player safety remains a top concern. Injuries can take place on any part of the field and can happen to any player irrespective of their position. A vast majority of injuries in the NFL take a long time to heal and often require surgery. The recovery is a long one and adding one more game just increases the risk. Furthermore, players are also fatigued by the end of the season with the toll this game takes on the body. The proposal to add in one more bye week for each team is a good one all things considered, and it might be the best way to get the players on board.
Increase in Lackluster End-of-Season Games
One point that cannot be stressed enough here is the lack of effort that could be seen from teams that are already out of playoff contention and those that have already advanced. Even now, the last couple of games of the season are sometimes dull affairs especially if the teams involved don’t have anything to play for. Preventing that from happening will be the challenge to overcome should the NFL consider this proposal further.
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I am a content writer for the NFL team, and joined The Playoffs after working with Sportskeeda and NFL Analysis as an NFL writer. After starting my professional career as a French-to-English translator, working as a content writer is a new adventure for me. I started out in the sports media field for two main reasons: my love for sports in general, especially the NFL, NBA, and Tennis, as well as my passion for writing. The best part of this job is that I get to write a variety of pieces with the freedom to explore content from various angles. It also enables me to stay up to date with the sporting world, which otherwise can be difficult to do in the day-to-day grind. In a world full of chaos, sports unite and entertain like nothing else!
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