As Super Bowl 60 draws near, the NFL finds itself at the center of a familiar debate: should the regular season stretch to 18 games? It’s a conversation that’s been simmering for a while, and this week, it boiled over again-right on cue with the biggest game of the year just days away.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the topic during his annual Super Bowl week press conference, acknowledging the idea of an 18-game slate but stopping short of confirming any formal talks with the NFL Players Association (NFLPA). Goodell emphasized that any potential expansion would need to account for player safety, competitive balance, and the overall quality of the game.
But while Goodell kept things diplomatic, the NFLPA made its stance clear-and it wasn’t subtle.
“We’ve stated before, our members have no appetite for a regular-season 18th game,” said NFLPA interim Executive Director David White. “You heard that last year when the executive committee was up here and they were talking about what happens to their bodies when they’re with their families, when they’re with their kids.
They were very open and candid about that. It’s punishing, and we can see that on the teams that have deep postseason runs.”
That last point is hard to argue. Teams that make deep playoff pushes often look like they’ve been through a war of attrition by the time February rolls around.
The toll of a 17-game season-plus preseason, plus playoffs-is already immense. Add another week of high-stakes football, and you’re asking a lot more from players whose bodies are already pushed to the brink.
Former Giants quarterback David Carr weighed in on the issue during a segment on NFL Network’s Super Bowl Live, offering a perspective that blends player experience with practical foresight. Carr didn’t dismiss the idea of 18 games outright, but he made it clear that if the league pushes for more football, players will need more in return.
“If it’s going to be 18 games, there needs to be two bye weeks,” Carr said. “We’ll play one Thursday night game and play one international game. Recovery is so important.”
Carr’s comments hit on a key theme: player recovery and workload management. The NFL has made strides in recent years with things like improved concussion protocols and reduced contact in practices, but if the season grows longer, the league will have to do more. Carr’s proposal of two bye weeks isn’t just a nice-to-have-it’s a necessity if the league wants to keep players healthy and the product on the field at a high level.
He also floated the idea of expanding team rosters-bumping the active roster from 53 to 60 players and increasing the practice squad from 17 to 20. That might sound like a minor tweak, but in a league where depth is everything, those extra bodies could make a real difference, especially during the grind of an extended season.
“For some of the teams that I saw play a couple Thursday night games, you could even hear in the comments that it wore on them,” Carr said. “They are really difficult to play. I know people say it’s an extra half bye week, but that’s a difficult preparation and I know coaches hate it.”
Thursday night games have long been a lightning rod for criticism-from players, coaches, and fans alike. The turnaround is brutal, the injury risk is higher, and the quality of play often suffers. If the league wants to keep those games on the schedule while adding an 18th regular-season contest, something’s got to give.
At the end of the day, the NFL is a business-and more games mean more revenue. But for the players, it’s about more than just dollars.
It’s about longevity, health, and sustainability. As Carr noted, “A lot of questions that have to be answered, but I think that it will eventually happen.”
The writing may be on the wall for an 18-game season, but it won’t-and shouldn’t-happen without serious concessions to the players who make the game what it is. The league has time to get it right. The question is whether it’s willing to listen.