Within the identify of participant security, it appeared like an odd choice by the NFL to extend the common season schedule from 16 to 17 video games just a few years again. Nevertheless it appears to be like like they’re doubling down on attempting to squeeze essentially the most doable juice out of the season, as it seems that the league is ready on increasing the schedule to 18 contests per group.
NFL May Be Eyeing An 18-Recreation Schedule
.@AdamSchefter mentioned it’s solely a matter of time earlier than the NFL will implement an 18-game season with two bye weeks on the @PatMcAfeeShow ✍️ pic.twitter.com/5GcPyPTEk9
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) July 15, 2024
On Monday, NFL insider Adam Schefter appeared on the Pat McAfee present, and talked about the potential for the NFL increasing the common season schedule. He started by saying that the league initially proposed an 18-game schedule when talks started, which was rapidly dismissed and changed with the concept of a 17-game schedule.
Schefter added the next:
It looks like there’s a momentum to this. I don’t suppose it’s actual proper now, nevertheless it’s solely a matter of time earlier than it does get actual…In my thoughts, its going to be about cash. You’re going to need to dangle sufficient to the gamers to make it price their whereas
Participant Security Is The Essential Concern
Wow, Joe Burrow offers the proper breakdown for an 18-game NFL schedule:
– Two bye weeks
– Professional Bowl throughout a league-wide Week 13 bye
– The Tremendous Bowl would fall on the Sunday earlier than Presidents Day.Thought?
(by way of @PardonMyTake)pic.twitter.com/3Rp2gSAGRs
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) July 8, 2024
One of many causes that Schefter was posed the questions by McAfee was for a response on the current feedback made by Joe Burrow. The quarterback of the Bengals appeared on a podcast and mentioned that an ideal breakdown for an 18-game schedule could be for every group to have two bye weeks, with one in every of them being a league-wide bye throughout Week 13, at which period they’d play the Professional Bowl.
Schefter says that the truth that Burrow is commenting on it within the first place offers the potential for a change some added traction.
A lot of the pushback on the concept is in fact with participant security in thoughts. Accidents have appeared to change into extra prevalent lately, and roughly 75% of the beginning quarterbacks within the NFL missed at the least a while throughout the 2023 season attributable to sure illnesses. Many consider that including extra video games would solely add to the difficulty, which is the rationale why cash might be on the forefront of the longer term discussions.
