The prospect of an 18 game regular season in the NFL appears soon to be reality. The National Football League (NFL) made their presentation of its first detailed proposal of an 18 games regular season to the NFL Players Association earlier this week.
According to Indianapolis Colts Executive and longtime NFL mainstay Bill Polian the debate has ended, he said, “I think that the owners, and principally the commissioner, have decided that it’s the way to go, and so the debate, such as it was, is over.” There are a number of details still lingering for owners and the NFLPA to iron out but the likelihood of the extended season is a good one.
National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell, along with team owners supports the move to a two pre-season game schedule. Removing two pre-season games from the schedule will allow for an addition of two regular season games. Although the new schedule layout seems to be agreeable with owners and the Commissioner, the NFLPA has not made a decision nor given any indication of its decision.
Currently owners receive about 40 percent of the almost $8 billion in revenues, minus $1 billion in operating expenses, generated by the NFL. The two extra games would generate the additional $1.3 billion desired. The projected amount sought by owners, does not include any salary or bonuses for players.
According to Polian, this is an undesirable move for some, especially rookies. Pre-season is games are an opportunity for rookies to “shine”. They need playing time for evaluative purposes. With only two pre-season games, starting and returning players will dominate the first half of each game, leaving on two halves, equal to one full game for rookies to play.
This dilemma holds true for free-agents as well. During pre-season free-agents, spend their time bargaining, planning and auditioning. With a shorter pre-season, it leaves little time to make positive impressions. Another downside of a longer regular season is the greater risk for injuries. More injuries could create a lopsided roster for coaches.