For the longest time, the NFL regular season consisted of 16 games, but in the 2021 season, one additional game was added to the schedule. According to sources, the reported 18th game is not far behind, as stakeholders begin conversations.<\/p>\n
The NFL and the franchise owners wanted to increase the number of games, per ESPN. However, the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) has been blocking this idea. As per the\u00a0Washington Post,<\/em>\u00a0the meetings have begun to take serious steps in the right direction.<\/p>\n NFLPA\u2019s executive director Lloyd Howell Jr. and others have started talks with the organization, though nothing is formal.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have talked at a very, very, very high level superficially, with a recognition \u2026 about, \u2018Yeah, this is something that we should be talking about. And we should really kick the tires and understand what else goes into that decision-making process,\u2019\u201d Howell said to the Washington Post.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u201cWhere does the 18th game come from?\u201d, continued Howell. “I think the foregone conclusion is well, you just grab it, like, in what would otherwise be [preseason games] in August. You play it forward. But these are details that really need to be fleshed out.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n “But, again, there are other economic, health and safety matters that also need to be clear to our members before there\u2019s ever an agreement about an 18th game.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n