July 15, 2019 06:12PM
Quote

Peter King, from [profootballtalk.nbcsports.com]

The 18-game schedule is nowhere near a reality. I heard that one or two teams are interested in what the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday the NFL has proposed discussing with the players as part of the CBA talks: an 18-game regular-season schedule, with each player eligible to play a maximum of 16 games. This is not a new idea—it’s been thrown around at league meetings as one idea to expand the inventory and enrich the league’s TV deals for years.

“I can’t see it,” one plugged-in club official told me.

I’ve always thought in an era when the reduction of head trauma is job one in everything the league does, the only way the NFL could even consider 18 games is with teams playing players a maximum of 16 weeks. But the details make it too hard. How would a team divvy up the starts, say, for the starting offensive line? Would they figure the starting tackles should play every week with the starting quarterback, and thus doom the backup in his two games to a run-for-your-life offensive scheme?

The continued pursuit—or the continuing broaching—of an 18-game schedule is such a short-sighted and greedy thing. The NFL paid each team $275 million out of the league share of total revenue in 2018, and teams paid about $215 million annually in player costs (cap plus benefits). After that, teams can reap major raw profits over what they did in local team revenue.

Someone in the NFL seems determined to kill the most golden of geese by pursuing, even in a passing way, this stupid idea. Greed, in this case, is not good.

Fans don’t want 18 games either. I put out a Twitter poll Saturday and Sunday, asking if readers preferred a 16 or 18-game schedule. Of 13,533 voters, 79 percent said 16. Great comment from a Vikings fan, Jason Altland: “If I pay out the nose for decent tickets in Baltimore or New York to see my Vikings, I want to see all the healthy stars play. I don’t want to pay and end up with a [Stefon] Diggs or {Adam] Thielen bye game.”

Pro Football Talk also polled its readers over the weekend about the 16/18-game idea, with more options than I offered … and 62 percent said they favored 16 games—with 8 percent saying they favored 18 with a maximum of 16 games per player per season.

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Quote

Damien Woody@damienwoody
The NFL should go to 2 preseason games. Most teams go into training camp pretty much knowing who’s making the 53. Teams are scrimmaging each other more so you actually get better tape of players on the fence

Geoff Schwartz@geoffschwartz
For the record I’m strongly against 18 games in any form unless significant concessions are made from the owners, which won’t happen

I’ve been hammering this for years when I can. The idea of “battling for roster spots” in the preseason is greatly exaggerated. Teams know 46-48 spots entering camp.

TheIronman@LFletcher59
NFL players are already struggling to make it through a 16 game season, added more games would lead to more short-term and long-term injuries. The owners don’t get that because it’s easy to be tough with someone else’s body. #NFL #18games

Geoff Schwartz@geoffschwartz
18 games has always been on the table. I think the 18 games w/players only allowed to play 16 idea was floated to see the reaction to the idea which was universally negative.
SubjectAuthorViewsPosted

  Report: Owners pitch 18-game season that would limit players to 16 games

RamBill797July 12, 2019 12:31PM

  Can't really wrap my brain around that...

JamesJM270July 12, 2019 01:01PM

  Re: Report: Owners pitch 18-game season that would limit players to 16 games

cool_hand_luke291July 12, 2019 01:54PM

  Re figure it out

Speed_Kills241July 12, 2019 02:01PM

  Can you pick any 2 games to rest particular starters?

promomasterj249July 12, 2019 02:19PM

  Re: Can you pick any 2 games to rest particular starters?

cool_hand_luke204July 12, 2019 03:10PM

  kicker/punter/long snapper

headslapper215July 13, 2019 03:58PM

  don't like it

zn251July 12, 2019 02:28PM

  Re: Report: Owners pitch 18-game season that would limit players to 16 games

Ramboni215July 12, 2019 02:46PM

  Re: Report: Owners pitch 18-game season that would limit players to 16 games

Classicalwit191July 12, 2019 03:05PM

  Re: Report: Owners pitch 18-game season that would limit players to 16 games

cool_hand_luke197July 12, 2019 03:12PM

  maybe with a handful of exemptions?

AlbaNY_Ram228July 12, 2019 04:52PM

  It's beginning to sound...

JamesJM232July 12, 2019 04:54PM

  me? no

zn455July 12, 2019 05:18PM

  Re: me? no........... Yup

Anonymous User251July 12, 2019 05:35PM

  Re: me? no

AlbaNY_Ram240July 13, 2019 12:57AM

  your blunt opinion....

21Dog205July 13, 2019 09:10AM

  8-game: LOVE IT--->starting QB sits 2 games--depth

Steve288July 13, 2019 01:26AM

  Re: 8-game: LOVE IT--->starting QB sits 2 games--depth

zn236July 13, 2019 04:48AM

  Re: 8-game: LOVE IT--->starting QB sits 2 games--depth

Steve297July 13, 2019 08:58AM

  A couple of things come to mind: first, there are not enough decent QBs

RockRam301July 13, 2019 04:59AM

  Re: A couple of things come to mind: first, there are not enough decent QBs

AlbaNY_Ram264July 13, 2019 05:23AM

  This isn’t complicated, so why overthink it?

Rams43326July 13, 2019 05:51AM

  Re: This isn’t complicated, so why overthink it?

AlbaNY_Ram356July 13, 2019 07:20AM

  Re: This isn’t complicated, so why overthink it?

Rams43230July 13, 2019 03:27PM

  Re: This isn’t complicated, so why overthink it?

AlbaNY_Ram230July 13, 2019 06:35PM

  Re: This isn’t complicated, so why overthink it?

zn240July 13, 2019 06:47PM

  Re: This isn’t complicated, so why overthink it?

Rams43306July 13, 2019 08:10PM

  I agree with this completely, 43...great post!!

SunTzu_vs_Camus230July 14, 2019 02:41AM

  Re: I agree with this completely, 43...great post!!

AlbaNY_Ram322July 14, 2019 06:55AM

  Re: I agree with this completely, 43...great post!!

Rams43376July 14, 2019 07:24AM

  Re: I agree with this completely, 43...great post!!

zn253July 14, 2019 07:57AM

  Re: I agree with this completely, 43...great post!!

Rams43224July 14, 2019 08:08AM

  Re: I agree with this completely, 43...great post!!

zn224July 14, 2019 08:20AM

  Re: I agree with this completely, 43...great post!!

Rams43226July 14, 2019 08:31AM

  Re: I agree with this completely, 43...great post!!

zn218July 14, 2019 03:55PM

  Re: I agree with this completely, 43...great post!!

AlbaNY_Ram236July 14, 2019 08:59AM

  I like it

stlramz233July 13, 2019 01:28PM

  That 'record' thing..

JamesJM264July 13, 2019 01:49PM

  Players might go for a 18 week schedule with 16 games played

ramzilla249July 13, 2019 03:46PM

  Re: Players might go for a 18 week schedule with 16 games played

zn219July 13, 2019 04:39PM

  Mark Murphy supports 17 games, a regular season compromise.

Rams43305July 14, 2019 07:59AM

  I like the 17 game idea

Rampage2K-262July 14, 2019 09:28AM

  Re: Report: Owners pitch 18-game season that would limit players to 16 games

zn386July 14, 2019 01:44PM

  I want 17 games and one additional bye week

PeoriaRa296July 15, 2019 08:52AM

  Re: I want 17 games and one additional bye week

Rampage2K-236July 15, 2019 09:25AM

  Re: Report: Owners pitch 18-game season that would limit players to 16 games

zn231July 15, 2019 06:12PM