Possible NFL Expansion to 18 Games

Potential 18-Game Season

Roger Goodell recently stated his desire to cut out some of the preseason games out of the schedule.

Does this mean the NFL Commissioner is hinting at a possible extended regular season? It is definitely something worth considering. There are positives and negatives to an extended season for NFL Teams and their players.

Positive: Fan Reaction

NFL fans would love nothing more than extending two more games to the regular season. Though it may not be easy or ideal for the players, this idea could come to fruition sooner than later. Ticket sales would increase and benefit team organizations.

Organizations such as the NFL and ESPN would benefit from this as ratings would rise with the additional television time. Platforms such as fantasy football and sports wagering games would also appreciate the increased season for their own sake financially.

Negative: What about the Players?

The NFL season is a long and grueling time for players. Adding an additional two games would likely increase the possibility of injuries to these professional athletes.

The idea of cutting the preseason could have a benefit to the players by allowing less strain on their bodies. However, adding two additional games to the regular season is an idea that not many NFL players will agree with.

The increase in games would also have an effect on coaching in the NFL. Having two additional games could impact sports gambling because teams will more often sit players when winning by a large margin in order to keep them healthy throughout the long season.

This idea would cause NFL players to be similar to the NBA in which players sit games at the end of the season. Players bodies would need more rest and the potential schedule change could cause a decrease in the level of competitiveness throughout the full four quarters of every game.

Dungy On Potential 18-Game Season

Former NFL Coach Tony Dungy spoke out about the idea of an 18-game regular season.

He felt that this idea stems from greed among NFL general managers and the NFL as a whole. The idea is solely revolving around money. Dungy did mention that if the players were able to make more money off of playing a few extra games that he feels they would be all in on the idea.

Current Tennessee Titans cornerback Logan Ryan made sure to speak out about the idea.

Ryan had a much similar opinion as Dungy as he stated that if the NFL wants to add an additional month to the season then the players need to be paid extra for extended working time.

.@RealLoganRyan spent more than 5 minutes during his media availability today discussing the potential of an 18-game NFL schedule. #Titans #NFL

Here’s part 1 of 3 on his thoughts: pic.twitter.com/wwRKeDt0hS

— Justin Beasley (@JBeasleyWSMV) June 4, 2019