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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell Says Expanding the Regular Season to 18 Games Is 'Not a Given'

Prior to Super Bowl Opening Night, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said an 18-game season is not inevitable and must be discussed with the NFLPA.
Owners including Robert Kraft have pushed the idea and built momentum by last week, following Goodell's 2024 draft remarks and the 2021 addition of the 17th regular-season game with talks to convert preseason games.
Safety and scheduling concerns — notably long flights and compact stretches — will shape talks, as Goodell highlighted player safety, roster sizes, the second bye week, and international travel challenges.
Negotiations will likely center on compensation and roster or bye-week adjustments, with Seattle Seahawks receiver Cooper Kupp saying owners must give players a bigger financial share for an 18th game under the current collective bargaining agreement, which expires in 2030.
Past experiments with a second bye week and international expansion raise scheduling trade-offs, as Goodell highlighted in his comments.

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