The NFL is reportedly exploring the idea of playing 18 games during the regular season. This has been the league’s desire for a long time, but they can’t expand to more games without the players’ approval due to CBA rules.
This has been a point of contention between the league and the players, and J.J. Watt has warned the players that they should negotiate hard.
Should NFL Players Negotiate With The League For an 18-Game Season?
Watt, who retired earlier this decade, saw two CBA negotiations during his NFL career, which spanned from 2011 to 2022. As a leader on and off the field, he knows how to deal with owners, especially as the Houston Texans had their fair share of controversy during his decade-long stint in Houston.
During his most recent appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show”, Watt was asked for his opinion about a possible 18th game in the regular season. He was adamant: if the players are going to accept another regular-season game, then they should be paid appropriately, instead of just settling for an extra bye week.
“The value of the 17th game was never given back to the players in a proper manner… You have to fight for what this is worth. Do not give this 18th game up for less than it is actually worth… If you play 18 games, yeah, you better have a second bye week. Don’t let them use that as a negotiating tool. That’s a non-starter. It needs to be financially equivalent to what it’s worth to you,” Watt said.
“If you play eighteen games you better have a second bye week..
Don’t let them use that as a negotiating tool because that’s a non starter..
The players get screwed in every single CBA negotiation” ~ @JJWatt #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/z4qJTY314O
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 21, 2026
Not many players know about the importance of resting more than J.J. Watt. After a firing start to his career in Houston, including three seasons as the Defensive Player of the Year, the second half of the last decade was marred by injuries: he played just three games in 2016, five games in 2017, and eight games in 2019.
He also played in just seven games in the 2021 season, but at that time, he had already moved to the Arizona Cardinals, where he played the last two years of his career. For the final season of his career, Watt received an A- grade, along with an impact score of 92.4 on PFSN’s DTi metrics.
Watt amassed multiple accolades during his career, including seven All-Pros and five Pro Bowls. He’s more than likely to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the first ballot as soon as he’s eligible.
