NFL owners in favor of 18th regular-season game, but key caveat added as well

The 2026 NFL owners meetings successful Phoenix are underway, and among nan discussions is bound to beryllium whether an 18th regular-season crippled should beryllium added to nan schedule astatine immoderate point. 

Two owners, New England Patriots’ Robert Kraft and Indianapolis Colts’ Carlie Irsay-Gordon, are each for it. 

However, location is simply a cardinal caveat Kraft would beryllium successful place. 

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Robert Kraft and Carlie Irsay-Gordon are 2 NFL owners who judge an 18th crippled could beryllium added, but pinch caveats. (Getty Images)

Kraft reportedly told media successful Phoenix that he is successful favour of an 18th regular-season game, but he wants location to beryllium a 2nd bye week for teams alternatively of nan modular 1 week. 

Also, Kraft’s "conditions," according to The33rdTeam’s Ari Meirov was removing 1 preseason game, which brings nan full to 2 per season, and making each azygous NFL squad play astatine slightest 1 world crippled each season. 

As for Irsay-Gordon, she pointed to nan truth that not each squad gets an moreover number of location games successful today’s NFL nether a 17-game schedule. But she besides agrees pinch Kraft that preseason should beryllium shortened. 

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"Preseason, is, arsenic acold arsenic nan instrumentality merchandise goes, I cognize nan commissioner’s been unfastened that it’s not nan champion merchandise that we have," she explained, per nan Indianapolis Star. "I would say, for improvement of our team, I don’t deliberation we tin get free of it."

While owners want it, nan NFL Players’ Association noted astatine nan Super Bowl earlier this twelvemonth that their broadside has "no appetite" for an 18th regular-season game. 

New England Patriots proprietor Robert Kraft smiles earlier nan NFL 2025 crippled against nan Tennessee Titans astatine Nissan Stadium successful Nashville, Tennessee, connected Oct. 19. (Kara Durrette/Getty Images)

Now that JC Tretter was elected nan PA’s executive director, negotiations astir an 18th game, arsenic good arsenic a caller media authorities contract, could beryllium ongoing. While nan TV woody could beryllium changed earlier nan commencement of nan 2026 season, Pro Football Talk reported that immoderate support for nan convention to instrumentality an 18th crippled could travel arsenic soon arsenic nan 2027 campaign. 

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has noted successful nan past that nan 18th crippled is "not a given," though owners for illustration Kraft, Irsay, and apt others spot it coming sooner than later. 

Buffalo Bills near tackle Dion Dawkins said successful a caller question and reply to Fox News Digital that he feels "it’s going to hap either way."

He conscionable wants to make judge players for illustration himself are taken attraction of decently if that is nan case, particularly from a financial lens.

Dion Dawkins of nan Buffalo Bills runs onto nan section anterior to an NFL shot crippled against nan Kansas City Chiefs astatine Highmark Stadium connected Nov. 2, 2025 successful Orchard Park, New York. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

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"Our contracts aren't afloat guaranteed. There's bully players, there's mean players, there's players that are conscionable making it by. As agelong arsenic guys are taken attraction of nan measurement they're expected to, this is our life. We're athletes, and not that I’m present for it, it's going to hap either measurement – [an] 18th game. And past 20 years later, conjecture what? We're talking astir a 19th, past we'll beryllium talking astir a 20th.… Then it's like, 'Yeah, we are combat athletes each twelvemonth long.' But who knows."

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