The NFLPA players’ union is opposing an alleged expansion of the NFL schedule. Commissioner Roger Goodell is backtracking – for now.

The NFL is apparently planning a further expansion of the schedule and internationalization. Instead of 17, there will soon be 18 games in the regular season. This was also confirmed by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft in an interview. The NFLPA players’ union has repeatedly responded critically to the future plans amid the Super Bowl hype.

Interim director David White states clearly: “Our members have no interest whatsoever in an 18th regular season game.”

“The 18th game is not a minor issue for us. It is a very serious matter. It is something that will emerge from negotiations. Nothing will move forward until the players have had the opportunity to consider all these factors. They should weigh them carefully and then agree to the 18th game, or not,“ said White, who repeatedly expresses concerns about the strain and health of the players. And according to White, the current situation seems clear among the stars: ”As things stand at the moment, the players have made it very clear that they have no interest in this.”
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell also backtracked on this issue during Super Bowl week after Kraft spoke so enthusiastically about further expansion. According to Goodell, the 18th game is “by no means a done deal.”

Currently, NFL owners cannot expand the regular season schedule. The league and the players’ union must first agree to resume negotiations before the collective bargaining agreement expires in March 2031.

NFLPA president denies talks

NFLPA President Jalen Reeves-Maybin stated in the presence of White and Goodell that there have been no formal talks or negotiations about an additional game so far:

“There are 31 team owners, and they all have different agendas and opinions on certain issues. Maybe this is an attempt to exert influence. We have not entered into any talks about 18 games. This is not something the players are looking forward to or really want to push for. We work very hard every year and deliver a good product – and we simply don’t see the need for it.”

In addition to concerns about player health and safety, White and Reeves-Maybin also stated that they have doubts about international travel. Or rather, about expanding it. Especially since each team plans its travel differently, which causes problems for a union when it demands equal rights for all:

“Some teams travel days in advance, others fly in the day before, and still others stay close to the training ground. Some players have long commutes after these trips while still struggling with jet lag, and so on. And then there’s the games that follow and whether there really is a period of complete recovery for the players’ bodies. That’s also inconsistent. All of this has to be taken into account when we talk about going even further or playing more international games,” White said.

Goodell continues to push for internationalization

Unimpressed, Goodell added that he would like to see a 16-game international schedule in the long term.

“I think that’s an important milestone we should strive for. I believe we are on the right track. Not only because of our own interest, but also because of the great desire of people to have these games in their cities. Some of the greatest cities in the world are asking for them.” The NFL has announced nine international games for 2026, including matches in Australia, France, and Mexico.

The NFLPA press conference concluded with the topic of turf. Here, too, players repeatedly complain about various surfaces in different stadiums. MetLife Stadium (New York) and Acrisure Stadium (Pittsburgh) are negative examples.

While NFL Executive Vice President Jeff Miller and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Alan Sills explained that NFL data shows an almost identical injury rate on artificial turf (0.43) and natural grass (0.42), White said on Tuesday that “90 percent” of players prefer to play on natural grass.

So there are many points to discuss between the parties during the offseason.