The NFL Players Association has engaged in high-level discussions with the NFL about the potential implementation of an 18-game regular season, the NFLPA’s executive director said.
Lloyd Howell said during a meeting Monday with Washington Post reporters and editors at the NFLPA’s headquarters in D.C. that the talks between the union and the league have not yet progressed to formal negotiations. But the discussions between the two sides, which have not been previously reported, indicate that the latest pursuit by the league and team owners of an 18-game season has moved beyond the hypothetical stage.
“We have talked at a very, very, very high level superficially, with a recognition … about, ‘Yeah, this is something that we should be talking about. And we should really kick the tires and understand what else goes into that decision-making process,’ ” Howell said. “Where does the 18th game come from? I think the foregone conclusion is well, you just grab it, like, in what would otherwise be [preseason games] in August. You play it forward. But these are details that really need to be fleshed out. But, again, there are other economic, health and safety matters that also need to be clear to our members before there’s ever an agreement about an 18th game.”
ADVERTISING
Howell said he will discuss the issue with players during upcoming meetings. He left open the possibility that an 18-game season could go into effect, if players are in favor of it and if the union were to be able to secure what it might seek in prospective negotiations with the league and owners, via an agreement between the NFL and NFLPA before the expiration of the current labor deal. The collective bargaining agreement expires after the 2030 season and specifically prohibits the league and owners from unilaterally extending the regular season to 18 games.
🎾
Follow Sports
“The simple fact of the matter is when you have a growing enterprise and there are opportunities within that intervening period of time where progress could be made and you could tweak the existing CBA legal document, why wouldn’t you want to do that?” Howell said. “So whether it’s field surface, whether it’s the [offseason] schedule, if you want to call that formal — I call it bargaining. I call it amendments. I call it updates to what is now a living document called a CBA. Yeah, I want to be able to have our membership in a position to jump on it when we can, not wait until their playing days are done and it’s like you go through the cycle all over again.”
Lloyd Howell said during a meeting Monday with Washington Post reporters and editors at the NFLPA’s headquarters in D.C. that the talks between the union and the league have not yet progressed to formal negotiations. But the discussions between the two sides, which have not been previously reported, indicate that the latest pursuit by the league and team owners of an 18-game season has moved beyond the hypothetical stage.
“We have talked at a very, very, very high level superficially, with a recognition … about, ‘Yeah, this is something that we should be talking about. And we should really kick the tires and understand what else goes into that decision-making process,’ ” Howell said. “Where does the 18th game come from? I think the foregone conclusion is well, you just grab it, like, in what would otherwise be [preseason games] in August. You play it forward. But these are details that really need to be fleshed out. But, again, there are other economic, health and safety matters that also need to be clear to our members before there’s ever an agreement about an 18th game.”
ADVERTISING
Howell said he will discuss the issue with players during upcoming meetings. He left open the possibility that an 18-game season could go into effect, if players are in favor of it and if the union were to be able to secure what it might seek in prospective negotiations with the league and owners, via an agreement between the NFL and NFLPA before the expiration of the current labor deal. The collective bargaining agreement expires after the 2030 season and specifically prohibits the league and owners from unilaterally extending the regular season to 18 games.
🎾
Follow Sports
“The simple fact of the matter is when you have a growing enterprise and there are opportunities within that intervening period of time where progress could be made and you could tweak the existing CBA legal document, why wouldn’t you want to do that?” Howell said. “So whether it’s field surface, whether it’s the [offseason] schedule, if you want to call that formal — I call it bargaining. I call it amendments. I call it updates to what is now a living document called a CBA. Yeah, I want to be able to have our membership in a position to jump on it when we can, not wait until their playing days are done and it’s like you go through the cycle all over again.”
