After years of debating, an 18-game NFL season may finally happen.
According to Andrew Beaton from the Wall Street Journal, new advancements were made by the league towards the NFL Players Association in order to make an 18-game season a reality in the National Football League.
Due to long-term health concerns, the players are already against this proposal. On top of that, the ongoing concerns about player contracts may sputter this 18-game proposal. Many contracts do not have guaranteed money, so if a player becomes injured, they will lose money from their contracts.
However, this reality may come with a sour taste.
The league has suggested a 16-game limit for players, meaning that for two games every year, a player will not be able to see action on the field.
This makes sense from a safety standpoint. The NFL season is already long as is, especially if the preseason is included. If playoffs are taken into consideration, the season will take an even greater toll on players.
However, from a fan standpoint, this may hurt the league. If a fan pays money to see their favorite player play, and they aren’t because they have a scheduled game off, fans may get angry. Especially if a team plays in a city they normally don’t visit, and fans from that city don’t get to see what they paid for.
These negotiations have been ongoing, and only time will tell if the season will be extended. However, the league must get the approval of the NFLPA, which will be a tough task. They may need to negotiate guaranteed money as part of an 18game season.
