Roger Goodell & Owners Expected To Discuss Adding 18th Game At Upcoming Meeting

Multiple league and union sources tell Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports reports that they expect NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and owners to open talks about possibly adding an 18th game to the regular season as soon as this summer.

According to Robinson, two high-level team executives believe the talks will “intensify” at the upcoming owner’s meeting in Florida.

“Everyone understands consensus-building time is coming for both [the league and NFL Players Association],” one league executive tells Robinson. “It’s going to take time to get to [negotiations] opening a CBA [Collective Bargaining Agreement] and rolling up sleeves on whatever gets put onto the table. It might take a year or two, but you really can’t do that without a broader conversation [amongst owners]. I think that starts to get some momentum in Florida.”

Robinson mentions that the major issue to watch in these talks is going to be whether the NFL is willing to adjust the current revenue split from the current agreement that pays out 48 percent of all football-related revenue to players and it can increase up to 48.8 percent.

The NFLPA is expected to target a 50-50 revenue split with the league, assuming they’re serious about adding an 18th game.

The NFL can opt out of the current CBA in 2029, but Robinson says they would likely want to do so with an 18-game regular season locked in, which increases their incentive to get something done sooner rather than later.

New NFLPA director Lloyd Howell previously indicated that he would support an 18th game, but the union has since said they’re not interested in expanding the season.

“Their side hasn’t raised it, we certainly haven’t raised it. . . . Any commentary outside of a formal negotiation is just commentary,” Howell said, via PFT. “It’s a players decision as to what they will agree to do or not. Right now when I have talked to players over the last two seasons, no one wants to play an 18th game. No one. 17 games, for many of the guys, is too long.”

We’ll have more on an 18-game season as the news is available.