The NFL’s move to an 18-game regular season appears inevitable according to the New England Patriots owner, as the league seeks growth domestically and overseas amid record popularity.
Robert Kraft believes the league will pursue international games and additional regular-season contests, signaling that 18 games per team could become standard soon.
“I want to tell you guys that we’re going to push like the dickens now to make international [games] more important with us,” Kraft said on Boston’s Zolak & Bertrand show Tuesday.
“Every team will go to 18 [regular-season games] and two [preseason games] and eliminate one of the preseason games, and every team every year will play one game overseas.
Kraft‘s comments showed an idea of what the most consequential transformation to the NFL’s calendar could look like since the shift from 16 to 17 regular-season games in 2021.
Under the framework Kraft described, the league would eliminate one preseason contest, add an additional regular-season game, and ensure that each of the league’s 32 teams plays at least one matchup overseas every year.
“And you look at the size of our crowds versus the other sports. We had that Amazon [playoff] game a couple of weeks ago, 31 million people streamed in.”
Historically, NFL teams played 14 regular-season and six preseason games. That increased to 16 and four in 1978, then 17 and three in 2021, showing a pattern of gradual extension.
The league believes revenue growth depends on more games, international contests, and new broadcast opportunities, even though current collective bargaining agreements run through 2030.
A potential 18-game schedule could include two bye weeks, international matchups in Europe, Asia, or Australia, and possibly new primetime slots, maximizing exposure and profits.
Could an 18-game season increase the risk of injury?
But adding another game inevitably raises player safety concerns, and the NFL Players Association has repeatedly highlighted this as a major obstacle to expansion.
Yet Commissioner Roger Goodell cited historically low concussion rates in 2024, seemingly playing off concerns.
While NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell said, “We’re not sure how he’s reaching that conclusion based on the data we’ve been given access to.”
Looking at prior seasons, the average number of players on injured reserve per team has not risen significantly with schedule expansion from 16 to 17 games.
Between 2017-2020, the average number of players on injury reports per game was 8.93, compared with 8.37 from 2021-2024, despite an extra game in the schedule.
Serious injuries on IR per game also increased only slightly from 38.2 to 39.9, suggesting that the additional week has not created a measurable spike in long-term injuries. Yet, players remain wary.
Howell noted that “no one wants to play an 18th game,” indicating potential standoffs between the league and its players before any new schedule is approved.
While Kraft and owners see expanded games as a path to growth, the NFLPA will play a critical role in negotiating conditions, including extra bye weeks and shortened preseason, before moving forward.
With growing fan engagement globally and record TV ratings, the NFL’s next step appears clear: 18 regular-season games are on the horizon, but only if player concerns are carefully managed.
Read the full article here
