NFL players say more money, second bye week needed to clear 18th game: Poll

The handwriting is on the wall. NFL owners eventually want to expand the regular season from 17 to 18 games. The owners usually get what they want, so it seems like a matter of when, not if, we see an expansion.

The current collective bargaining agreement runs until 2030, but NFL owners, officials and leaders of the NFL Players Association have already begun very preliminary discussions about what an 18-game season would look like and what concessions each party would have to make to facilitate it . such a change. But the two sides are still nowhere near an agreement.

For now, the majority of NFL players we spoke to are against the idea of ​​an 18-game season. Out of 108 players who answered when asked The AthleticsIn the second anonymous poll of players, 64 said they are not in favor of the league adding an 18th game. Meanwhile, 29 players said they were in favor of the move and 15 described themselves as undecided.

Those who oppose the idea are firmly against it.

“No. No,” said one player. “It puts too much strain on our bodies.”

“F- no. F- no,” a second player replied. “For what? F- no. F– no. F- no. Make it shorter.”

A third said: ‘No. Not worth the money. And it doesn’t affect the playoff round. An extra match has no influence on the play-off round.’

More football sounds great for fans and owners, but many players have other factors to consider.

“No, because players barely reach seventeen, so if we add eighteen, we don’t know what impact that will have in the long run,” said one player, “because you’ll see that guys use a lot one year and they spend the entire next year battling injuries. Physically, I think it’s too much, and I know from the NFL’s standpoint that they see the money, but they’re going to lose a lot of star players to injuries.”

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Another player worried that the continued expansion of the schedule would reduce the size of each game.

“What makes football great is that there are so few games, and each game is as important as ten baseball games and five basketball games. So they all matter,” he said. “And 17 is kind of fun, because no one gets to .500. We don’t do restrictions. You’re either above .500 or below .500. If it ever happens, grass pitches should be mandatory across the league.”

Players always disagree with the NFL’s claims that they are concerned about player safety when they also hear owners want extra games. But they understand the driving factor behind such a decision.

“The NFL is all about making money, so of course they’re going to add another game,” one player said. “More money is coming in.”

He hit the nail on the head: the NFL is all about making money. Conversely, players also want to increase their earning potential. Because of that mutual desire, even players who are strongly opposed to the idea of ​​expanding to 18 games recognize that they may have to give in to continue growing their share of the economic pie.

“I get it, it’s the money side,” said one player. “You know, get the money while you can, just keep adding games. But I think it causes more wear and tear on the body. If they want to make an 18th game, they’ll have to make changes elsewhere. So I’m curious to see what they will do.”

Players are concerned about adding more wear and tear to their bodies if the NFL eventually adds an 18th game. (Ken Blaze/Imagn Images)

Another said: ‘No. Unless they give us some more money, no. This has been a long season, you know? If we add the last one, it was something, first 16 and then 17. Eighteen is just crazy.’

Players currently receive 48.8 percent of all revenue and owners take in the remaining 51.2 percent, but that split would certainly have to change if the league expects to impact players in the 18th game. Players were also asked a follow-up question about what the NFL would need to adjust to accommodate a potential 18th game. The most common response was an additional bye week, while others mentioned changes to the preseason and offseason schedule and, of course, more money.

“I am in favor if that means a larger share of income for the players and if an extra bye week is added within the season,” said one player.

“If it means more money, I’m down,” said another. “But a lot more money. Not just any game check. (And) two bye weeks.

Another player, thinking about the earning potential, also said he would opt out of an 18th match.

“Yes, if the salary, regardless of inflation, reflects this, and you increase the number of practice players per team,” he said. “Just because I always think about the little guys, so I look at minimum salaries and practice players. I just want the bread. I just want another $100,000 or $200,000. I don’t stumble over getting extra rest as long as it’s all the same playing field and everyone else gets the same rest. I think it’s cool, but I’m also a grinder. I’ll play 20 games for another $500,000.”

A few players liked the idea of ​​an 18th game simply because they enjoy playing.

“I love the game,” said one. ‘Would you like to add more? Add more.”

They believed that with the right preseason adjustments and with the implementation of a second bye, players would find ways to cope and adapt to the extra wear and tear.

“Two real bye weeks,” said one player. “Not a three-day week that the league can get away with after Thursday’s games. Two full weeks and that brings you to the Presidents Day holiday for the Super Bowl as they please.

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The players surveyed appear to know that regardless of their reservations, an 18th match is coming, and there is little they can do except work to negotiate the best possible financial package and benefits.

As one veteran said, “I hope by the time we get to that point, much later, I’m out of the league. But I know it’s coming.”

(Top illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletics; Photos: Ryan Kang and Chris Unger / Getty Images)