The NFL has always been quick to embrace change, particularly when it comes to its rules and regulations. Every year, teams can submit requests to alter the league in various ways. One of the most obvious indicators of the NFL’s evolution is the shift toward a more offense-focused game.
Another major change has been the extension of the regular season. Starting in 2022, the NFL moved from its traditional 16-game model to a 17-game season. With media rights expanding and demand for the game growing, one analyst has even speculated about the potential for adding yet another game to the calendar.
An 18-Game NFL Schedule?
The number of games in the NFL has fluctuated over the years. After a set schedule was established in 1935, teams alternated between different game counts for more than a decade before settling on 12 games in the late 1940s, which remained the standard throughout the 1950s.
This status quo shifted again with the emergence of the AFL, leading to an expansion to a 14-game schedule. However, since the 1978 merger, the NFL had maintained a 16-game schedule, with only rare deviations for strikes, such as in 1982 and 1987.
For the most part, the 16-game model was the cornerstone of the Super Bowl era, until the 2021 season when the league expanded to a 17-game schedule. As a result, several records, including most rushing yards and most passing yards in a season, have already been broken.
But, the league might not be done yet. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated believes an 18th game could be coming sooner than later. To him, there are two possible times in the coming years when it could become a legitimate possibility.
Firstly, “I think the first opportunity for an 18-game regular season will be in 2027—the league hasn’t set a Super Bowl date for that year (Super Bowl LXII will be in Atlanta at some point in February ’28), which would indicate they have that season earmarked.”
Or, “The next checkpoint is about a year after that Super Bowl when they notify the networks that they’ll opt out of the broadcast contracts following the ’29 season.” According to him, the decision makes sense, not only from a financial but stability standpoint as well.
“Presumably, the NFL will want to go to the market with an 18-game schedule, among other things (maybe a full slate of international games, too) to sell. Having a year or two of evidence on how that works wouldn’t hurt.”
Nick Wright, analyst and host of First Things First on FS1, has long argued about the NFL including an international week to avoid the extra home game problem that the 17-game season has brought with it.
.@getnickwright proposes his fix to the NFL schedule: NFL International Week pic.twitter.com/ydZkBO46Bd
— What’s Wright? with Nick Wright (@WhatsWrightShow) February 26, 2025
According to his theory, every team splits eight games at home and on the road, with the extra game being played on neutral soil internationally. With multiple locations up for grabs, it could become a week-long celebration of the league.
Moreover, to account for the gap variance, the league could introduce an additional bye week, effectively making it an 18-week season.
It remains to be seen where the NFL moves with its plans to expand the current format, but a plethora of interesting ideas are already on the table.