The discussion of extending the regular season to an 18th game has been gaining traction recently, with one member of the NFL Players Association’s executive committee sharing his thoughts on the matter. Colts center Ryan Kelly expressed his opinion on Wednesday, stating that while the idea of more games may sound great to some people when discussed by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, he believes it is “too many games” for those who actually play the game.
Kelly pointed out that making corresponding changes to the preseason could negatively impact players trying to establish themselves in the league. He emphasized the difficulty of playing 16 games in a regular season and expressed concern about adding another game on top of that. Kelly also highlighted the importance of preseason games for players, especially undrafted or late-round picks who need the opportunities to showcase their skills and improve.
The NFL recently transitioned to a 17-game regular season after the union narrowly passed the most recent collective bargaining agreement. Any further move to 18 games would require negotiation and agreement between the league and the players’ union. Currently, there is no set timeline for discussions regarding the possibility of extending the regular season to 18 games.