The NFL and NFLPA have been negotiating a new Collective Bargaining Agreement since the offseason. In recent talks, the NFL is considering expanding the regular season to 17 games per Tom Pelissero. Would this be a smart idea for the NFL?
Over the recent years, Roger Goodell has expressed interest in elongating the regular season. At the same time, the owners and Goodell have also shared the same sentiment of possibly shortening the preseason.
Regardless, it appears as if the NFL has made the extension of the regular season their main priority. But unless there is an added bye week and the schedule for Thursday night games is changed; then a 17-game season is a terrible idea.
There's no doubt that football is an ultra-violent sport where injuries are an inevitable occurrence. Even in a 16-game season, there is an endless amount of injuries that can make or break a team's season.
The NFL has preached that they want to make the game safer for the players. Therefore, it would be hypocritical to extend the regular season without taking into consideration how it could negatively affect the players.
Currently, the NFL has a 16-game regular season that gives each team one bye week. Additionally, players are expected to play in Thursday night games that only allow them to get just two or three days of rest.
The current schedule needs to be corrected if the NFL truly wants to prevent more injuries in the league. Without a doubt, the NFLPA will only approve of an extended regular season only if it benefits the players.
Earlier this offseason, there were talks surrounding an 18-game regular season. With an 18-game regular season, the idea was that each individual player would be given a 16-game limit.
As expected, that idea was tossed into the trash and both sides have begun working towards a new agreement. The NFL is a multi-billion dollar corporation that is interested in making money for themselves.
Of course, more games in the regular season directly results in more revenue for the owners and the NFL. Before they think about adding more games onto the season, the NFL should shift their focus on readjusting the current schedule.
First and foremost, teams should only have to play on Thursdays if they are coming off of a bye week. It is unfair to force players in the NFL to recover from their previous game in a couple of days; compared to an entire week.
Now, if the 17-game regular season discussions involve a refurbished Thursday night schedule, then there may be something to work with. But knowing the NFL, they are more focused on extending the season for financial purposes; not player safety.
With that being said, the thought of enlarging the regular season is an awful idea that is going to be hard to get done without it hurting the players who make the league money.
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