For now, the NFL will play a 17-game regular-season schedule, even though commissioner Roger Goodell has recently discussed extending the season by a game. It appears, based on the recent comments made by several NFL players, that Goodell and Co. will face some pushback when they ultimately decide to try to extend the season.
Steelers All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick was one of the players recently surveyed by ESPN about the possibility of an 18-game regular season. Fitzpatrick was also part of the 19% of those surveyed who are completely against an increased season.
"Why do we keep adding games?" Fitzpatrick asked. "I think 17 is more than enough, plus a playoff. ... The dudes that play a hundred percent of the snaps in the regular season are probably barely playing in the [removed] preseason game, so it doesn't really do too much."
Teammate and veteran offensive lineman James Daniels pointed to the hypocrisy of adding an extra game to the schedule when the league says it cares about improving player safety.
"You're talking about player safety, but how do you have player safety when you add a game?" Daniels said. "If they were worried about player safety, it would take away games, but it's not about player safety, it's about money and extra games -- an extra prime-time game -- that brings millions of dollars to the NFL, millions of dollars to cities everywhere. I understand it from both sides."
As expected, there are a bevy of different player opinions when it comes to increasing the regular season. While some players are vehemently against it, others feel it's the league's decision, and they'll follow along with whatever they decide. Raiders perennial Pro Bowl wideout Davante Adams falls largely under this category.
"I'm always down to play more football," Adams. "But it makes more sense when you're fighting for something, too."
Adams was likely alluding to the NFLPA fighting to get something in exchange for a longer season. Money, it seems, might be the biggest thing the players want in return.
"They're not paying us enough money already," Steelers safety DeShon Elliott said. "They're stingy with their money, so they want to make us play 18 games, as a player union, we should get way more money than what we're getting -- and not just the top guys. And the thing is, they're not out here playing football. They're not here running around putting their bodies on the line. They don't care. All they care about is making money, but if you're going to make money on the top end, the bottom end has to make money, too."
Along with money, an extra bye week is something players will also likely lobby for if the season is, in fact, extended. Joe Burrow recently alluded to this, and fellow quarterback Brock Purdy has followed suit.
"It's a long season, man," Purdy said. "You go through so much physically and mentally and everything. But if we're going to extend it another game, I think another bye would be pretty nice. But at the same time it's longer ... I don't really know how I feel 100% on it yet."
Really, a move to an 18-game season is inevitable if that's what the NFL's owners want. That being said, it's becoming just as clear that the league will have to give some things back to its players in order to make an 18-game season a reality.
