The NFL and NFLPA have begun discussions on a possible 18-game season

“We’ve talked at a very, very, very high level, superficially, with a recognition … like, ‘Yes, this is something we should talk about. And we should really think about it and understand what goes into that decision-making process,’” Howell said. “Where does the 18th game come from? I think the obvious conclusion is that you just take it, like, in what would have otherwise been (preseason games) in August. You play it forward. But those are details that really need to be worked out. But, again, there are other economic, health and safety issues that also need to be clear to our members before there’s an agreement on an 18th game.”

Howell said he would discuss the issue with players in upcoming meetings. He left open the possibility that an 18-game season could come into effect, if the players are in favor of it and if the union is able to get what it might seek in potential negotiations with the league and owners, via an agreement between the NFL and NFLPA before the current collective bargaining agreement expires. The collective bargaining agreement expires after the 2030 season and specifically prohibits the league and owners from unilaterally extending the regular season to 18 games.

“The fact is, when you have a growing business and there are opportunities in that interim period where progress could be made and you could amend the legal document of the existing collective bargaining agreement, why wouldn’t you want to do that?” Howell said. “So whether it’s the field surface, the (off-season) schedule, if you want to call it formal — I call it negotiation. I call it amendments. I call it updates to what is now a living document called a collective bargaining agreement. Yes, I want our members to be able to use it as soon as possible, not wait until their playing days are over and it’s like you’re starting the cycle all over again.”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell expressed his preference for an 18-game season in an interview that aired during the draft in April. Goodell reiterated that view at the end of an owners meeting in May, saying, “We would do it as part of a reduction in the number of preseason games. We think it’s a good trade.”

Owners broadly support Goodell’s preference for an 18-game season, and they and the league could try to get the union to agree to such a schedule well before the current collective bargaining agreement expires, the Post reported in April, citing five people familiar with the inner workings of the NFL and the owners’ views.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said at the May meeting in Nashville that he supports a possible move to an 18-game season with a corresponding reduction in the preseason from three to two games per team, calling it “the most efficient allocation.”

Howell’s remarks Monday were his most extensive public comments on the topic and signaled the NFLPA leadership’s willingness to engage with the league and owners on the subject. Howell said he was “pleased” that Goodell raised the issue publicly.

“When Roger talked about 18 games, you could say it’s inevitable,” Howell said. “But I think you missed the point. The bottom line is economics and the bottom line is what depends on a number of factors, the number of games in a season being one. So let’s go further. Let’s break down what’s in the collective bargaining agreement. Probably 17 major points, the number of games in a season being one. What depends on that? Well, the size of the (practice) squad, the size of the roster. So now we’re talking about additional contributions to the economy (beyond) just the number of games.”

Howell did not specify what concessions the NFLPA would ask of the league and owners in exchange for agreeing to an 18th regular-season game. But he mentioned a variety of topics that could be part of the discussions, including changing the schedule for offseason workouts known as organized team activities, or OTAs.

“Our members are interested in a multitude of things before we even get to the number of games: health and safety, field surface, OTA rosters, compensation, what percentage of their annual compensation is guaranteed,” Howell said. “So there’s a lot to consider before we get to the 18th game. … It’s a negotiable point. …

“So it’s in the headlines. I totally understand that. But what’s the composition of the 18? How many games are going to be played abroad now? And where is the abroad? Is it Western Europe? South America, like this year? Asia? Australia? These are things that are in the air. And then, to answer what I think Joe Burrow said, what about the number of weeks off? Is it two? More than two?”

Burrow, the Cincinnati Bengals’ star quarterback, spoke about the need for teams to have a second bye week during the season if it is extended to 18 games.

“With 18 games, it’s an emotional topic at first, right?” Howell said. “So if you’re new to the league and you haven’t been through the grind of a career, you’re probably like, ‘Oh, sure, 18, 19,’ you know? But if you’re a veteran and you’re looking to extend and you’ve already had some serious injuries during your season, that extra game is a test. It really takes a toll on you.”

Owners have sought an 18-game season since negotiations with the NFLPA that led to the 2011 labor agreement. They expanded the regular season from 16 to 17 games in 2021 after winning the right to do so in the collective bargaining agreement reached in 2020 under Howell’s predecessor, DeMaurice Smith.

“You all know that when the last collective bargaining agreement was negotiated, 17 (games) was not a policy decision,” Howell said. “A lot of our members felt very strongly about whether or not they supported that decision. In fact, whether or not the collective bargaining agreement was ultimately approved was kind of riding on that. The other reason I was thrilled that Roger brought this decision forward is that we can start this discussion now. We don’t have to wait until the week before a vote or even a year before a vote. We can really figure out: What are the issues? What is the science behind this? What are the economics behind this?”

Players received an increased share of revenue under the salary cap system and other concessions from the league and owners in exchange for a 17th regular-season game in the current collective bargaining agreement, which was narrowly ratified by the players in March 2020.

“A lot of our players have said to us, ‘They’re going to ask for more games,’” Howell said. “One of the things you learn in business is that it’s a no-brainer: I know you’re going to ask for more games because it … makes more money. And to be fair, don’t we all want to grow the pie? So it’s how the pie grows that matters. And what’s the tradeoff to make so that you’re not just playing another game, but all of the other dimensions that I mentioned are also taken into account?”

Howell, a former chief financial officer at consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, said he has met with about 25 owners since his election last year, in addition to his meetings with players and with Goodell and other league executives.

“Historically, the whole system has kind of worked on the principle of, ‘Whoops, we’ve got a stalemate.’ Or, ‘There’s something happening in the media. It’s time to get this thing together,’” Howell said. “As a businessman, that’s about the dumbest thing you can do. It’s better to have a relationship … and then we can have a rational discussion about, ‘Can we meet halfway?’ Or if we have to hang in there, we do.”

Howell said the NFLPA will soon return its pending proposal to the league and owners to reconfigure the offseason schedule by eliminating teams’ voluntary on-field workouts in the spring in favor of a longer preparation period for players leading up to training camps in the summer.

“This is an issue that was raised before I got here,” Howell said. “I would say the volume of this issue has continued to grow. And during my first year, as I was meeting with each of the teams, this was one of the issues that came up. So we did our homework as recently as this weekend, and we will be sending something to the league in the not-too-distant future.”