Roger Goodell views 18-game season in long-range context | Pro Football Talk | NFL on NBC

[@nnis75]

If they move to 18 games, they have to expand rosters. The rosters should be expanded now. These players are barely making it through 17 games plus the playoffs.

[@brianguarnieri491]

All 53 should dress on game day, with more practice squad callups per player!

[@Proghog05]

One thing the players should demand is that they will only play on natural grass/hybrid grass fields if the owners want more games.

[@acejones7688]

20 games, 2 preseason games, 3 byes, no weekly schedule every team just gets at least 7 days of rest, 60 man rosters, bigger practice squad. They’ll be games everyday and 6-7 every Sunday

[@seanmanahan477]

Equating quality of game with removing preseason games is LUDICROUS

[@legitdragon6202]

Especially since a lot of starters don't even play in preseason as it is.

[@seanmanahan477]

@@legitdragon6202 and younger players need them

[@rungy8214]

LOL!!! We're not thinking about more games, but in the long run we are thinking about more games!

[@Ststephennj68]

As I Giants fan season ticket holder love my owner as showing Fans & player concern which we all know the league could care less about. As a season ticket holder selfishly I’m for not paying for pre-season tickets as regular season tickets depreciates depending on as it is. You go Chris u know what the Mara always have class.

[@TedA-s8z]

How about 18 games in exchange for all grass fields? The owners do it (convert to grass) when MLS comes to town.

[@Proghog05]

They don't cover when MLS is in town look at Foxboro, Seattle, Charlotte. Those stadiums are shared between NFL and MLS teams and they are artificial turf. They usually roll out sod over the fake turf for European preseason games which is very dangerous and I can't believe the teams agree to play on it.

[@kghd2647]

"The hell with sub-tle" Chris kills me😂😂😂😂😂

[@VariationMachine]

Ifwhen they do go to 18 wouldn't make sense to just divide the chunk of games up in thirds using 2 bye weeks as buffers?

[@brandonwilson4740]

They won't put every team on bye the same week. Football must be played every week

[@Cabanj09]

Two preseason games, expand rosters by (x), limit franchise tag to one year, and add TWO Byes. The extra bye could allow games to be played on more days

[@jasoninseattlewa79]

18 games. 2-9 weeks halves. With a bye week in the middle. Plus, 2 bye weeks for each team in each half. 3 bye weeks total for each team. Also, expand rosters and practice squad.

[@DD-sr9xm]

Godell is playing games here. He is trying to pre-frame the negotiations with the players union about the trade-off for an eighteenth regular season game … an 18th game first one less pre-season game. The players union will see through that. There is significant utility for players in pre-season games, players getting ready for full contact, players at the bottom of the roster getting playing time, etc.

[@jonosay854]

Make ALL teams Bye Week on weeks 8-10, or 9-11.

[@jharp08]

I like that!

[@ohbuddy-m5g]

a week with no football? that aint gonna fly

[@jonosay854]

@@ohbuddy-m5g no. 1/3 of the teams bye on week 8. 1/3 on week 9. 1/3 on week 10

[@jbkmjl]

No ... make each division take a bye week together and they one another the following week finally removing the unfairness of one team playing with one week of rest against a team that had two weeks off to prepare. ie. AFC East Week 5 off NFC West week 12 off then the following year rotate slide the week from one division up, every 8 years you have week 5 off then week 6 and so on and so forth.

[@markkoep8031]

Too few of games then

[@patrickstultz9577]

Agree on expanded rosters, and an extra bye week. The extra bye will probably be coupled to more overseas/international games.

[@BrennonOne]

Most people would NOT say it's more beneficial to play more regular season games. 16 was just fine, and much more balanced.

[@lightweight1365]

Bring on that 18th game with another bye. 20 week season would be awesome.

[@budkamyabi4674]

NFLPA needs to have the balls to ask for 2 bye weeks AND 63 in active roster. This also means having a much higher salary cap.

[@tjayd1225]

Like Lester from the wire said, follow the money.

[@IOSALive]

NFL on NBC, You're the best! I just had to subscribe!

[@markkoep8031]

Teams play monday to thursday?

[@IOSALive]

NFL on NBC, This is great! I liked it and subscribed!

[@bobsburgers8885]

let's not forget that the salary cap is a percentage of revenue. So the owners making more money is the same as the players making more money.

[@DaemonGeek]

It is ludicrous that Goodell tries to take the stance that the league is most concerned with safety for the players. Expanding the season to 17 games was ultimately harmful to the players, but resulted in more money to the league. Having games overseas is harmful to the players, but results in more revenue generated by the league. If he were completely honest, he would have replied that the league is going to do as much as it can get away with, with respect to revenue generation vs. player safety.

[@TomReichner]

Expanding to 18 regular season games is fair to the players, collectively. Why? Because the salary cap is a firm percentage of all league profit. Therefore, if owners' profits increase by X percent, the players' share increases by the same percentage. Whatever benefits the owners also benefits the players to the same extent.

[@bauerpower83]

I get it but no one wants more pre-season football. Us fans want more meaningful football!!

[@nubopgritty634]

The 18 game season will shorten the average players career in terms of years. But the league doesn't care about the average player because there's a never-ending stream of talent coming from college football.

[@jbkmjl]

More teams is nearly impossible, you'd need 8 more teams for it to be fairly balanced, so either 5 divisions of 4 teams in each conference or 4 divisions of 5 teams each. There isn't 8 cities that can support and overseas is unrealistic. Perhaps St. Louis (NFC North), San Diego (AFC West), San Antonio (AFC South), Toronto (NFC East), Portland (or Vancouver) (NFC West), Mexico City (NFC South), London (AFC East), Orlando (AFC South), Oakland/Sacramento/San Jose (NFC North as bad as Dallas being in the East), what a travel nightmare.

[@jc6059]

Reducing the preseason is a bad idea. The players need the reps and the coaches need to determine roster spots. If, correction, when they go to 18 games they should expand the roster size and have 2 bye weeks for teams.

[@davebo9615]

I think Florio is underestimating the pro Union sentiment that is going on right now. I think the public would more easily buy the players association argument than the owners. The public knows the owners are cheap and wouldn't necessarily blame "greedy" players like they might have in the past.

[@daylanm66]

Do what the cfl does and have 20 long regular season weeks but 18 games and every team gets 2 bye weeks and only have 2 preseason games instead of 3

[@seanmanahan477]

If they wanna add games add them in regular season but keep preseason games there

[@BrennonOne]

The most dangerous team sport, somehow is advocating for more games, while the other team sports are questioning if they play too many... wild.

[@TomatoPace]

Partner with ufl for the young guys to develop

[@Lockedup365]

18 games an have 2 bye weeks 20 weeks plus preseason for the rookies

[@MyGumShoe]

NFL..."Players don't mean squat... Money, money, money means all"

[@jahprime6932]

This is how stupid this argument is. 1. Have you heard of player fatigue during the Wild Card Playoffs? 2. 18 regular season games means an extra bye week and more league wide revenue. The players will get more money. 3. If you eliminate preseason games altogether, you get sloppier football to start the season that gets better. And the more well coached teams will get off to better starts. Just like preseason. The one exception will be we will watch the whole game. Smh 4. Add to that . Is player fatigue ever a storyline going into the Championship and Superbowls? 5. Last don't talk about injuries because we've seen devastating injuries in the preseason and look at Rodgers last yr. Injuries are unpredictable and unavoidable.

[@hondasan6531]

I prefer quality over quantity. I would rather have a short season with great games, than a lot of mediocre ones. Besides, 18 games is a lot for players to play without getting injured.

[@richarris1111]

I agree 20 games is coming but they need to start the season before Labor Day.

[@sgu2693]

I like 20 game season and ending in March

[@kb9826]

The NFLPA knows more games = a larger salary cap = more money for them because the team's will obviously make more.

[@franklinkopecky9644]

THEY SHOULD GIVE THEM TWO BYE WEEKS PER YEAR ...

[@DeeBlockEthan]

The nfl will destroy their own game. How are backups ever going to get recognized or get experienced, if there’s no low-risk games. No pre-season, come on. They will eventually risk the game quality to make some money. And this is how sports in america always alternate in terms of top popularity, because it’s soley about money.

[@rzawistowski33]

Lets just rip the bandaid off 36 teams, 6 divisions of 6 teams each(2 in London) 60 man rosters, 20 weeks, 2 byes, no preseason. Its coming so just do it.

[@robertschoelerman7496]

Extra by week for the teams to rest up

[@TLOFM11]

The NFLPA has to fight for just one franchise tag. Their is the non exclusive and exclusive franchise tags in the CBA. The NFLPA needs to push for the elimination of the exclusive tag and have just the non exclusive franchise tag.

[@RoninGaijin]

Steelers and Giants got the SHAFT from the league. No question...

[@mykofreder1682]

It will hurt the good teams, bad teams out of it will go into training camp mode week 15 or 16 for draft and to save the best players for next year, anyone with a bump will be on injured reserve. Smart owners will insist on saving players for a push next year.

[@jtmcnasty]

If they were smart ! they would make an off season league IMPORTANT

[@evosmith12]

No teams have 3 games in 10 days. Why does this keep getting repeated??????

[@sgu2693]

Im all in for a 20-game season and season ending in March 😮

[@christophergarcia4882]

The NFL is trying to entice all international players, then when they get invited to a team, they are going to need all the practice, training and exhibition games they can get

[@brandonwilson4740]

They will be on the practice squad. Preseason isn't important

[@contecrayononpaper]

'[S]afer'? Remove all artificial turf.

[@MrIcognegro]

Unless the players are willing to temporarily lose now in order to win later like every other sport (baseball strike, basketball strike….) the players will never have power. How can you have 18 games and no permanent health care?

[@brandonwilson4740]

I dont have healthcare

[@seanmanahan477]

Steelers play sat and Wednesday. Not Sunday to Wednesday

[@fockewulf4409]

Adding too many games waters down the product. Each games is less important the more you have.

[@korypeoples3497]

Bingo people wonder why the game rates so high because every game counts and can make or break your season down the stretch.

[@tlwatts88]

18' Game Season Should Start in August..???

[@seanthomas600]

Nah, too hot in many locals. Playoffs can extend well into Feb with Super Bowl even going to March if need be. (Assuming 18 and possibly eventually 20 games, 2 byes per team and no preseason games.) There isn't much sports competition in Feb/Mar. Still regular season for NBA & NHL. Spring training in MLB.

[@randyadams8198]

Just add 8 teams bring back the central

[@ryanbain618]

3 games in 10 days......that's a lot.......

[@robdart3015]

18 games coming, then 19, then 20 ect ect.

[@akvalues]

Make the games safer?? When you continue to lie about what you have known about head injuries for decades. 😂😂😂 This guy fits the times like no other!!😂😂😂😂

[@xnvaznx]

More money for what will be a worse product! Sign us up for that!

[@bobthecpaontheloose4141]

Why not expand the schedule - say to 20 games along with limiting the number of games a player can suit up and play in? The push back will be that it will "dilute" the quality of the game but, say limit these games per player to 16, excluding championship play and as another commentor said to expand the roster which could allow an "every down" player to perform a consistently higher and healthier level through the course of the season? The QB position could be the most problematic.

[@vazquez7871]

stop covering it or shutup ..Florio is complicit

[@lukescribner9100]

Goodell needs to retire! Seventeen is good. Preseason help the secondary help them! All pro teams have preseason.

[@NathanDean79]

The wild money grab by the NFL is pretty fucking disgusting. If they add 3 more games then I’m bkt watching this crap anymore.

[@davegoguen2325]

Why don't they create a minor league?

[@mattgress9213]

This guy is a total bullshit artist. 18 games is going to be worse on the players bodies & therefore making the game less safe. Its all about money, they do not care about player safety at all.

[@IOSALive]

NFL on NBC, You're amazing! Let's be friends and hang out!