Saquon Barkley Says He Would Vote Against an 18-Game NFL Season

Barkley, who has dealt with a hamstring injury this season, told Front Office Sports he is "not a fan of it" and would vote no. "I can't speak on how players feel," he said. "How do I feel about it? I'm not a fan of it. I actually don't agree with it, to be completely honest." He added: "I'm all about players' health. And I don't see how any way adding another game is advantageous to our health for the now and for the future."

The NFLPA has opposed expansion. Sports Illustrated reported that union president Jalen Reeves-Maybin said: "The answer is absolutely not. It's a point of negotiation." The current CBA runs to March 2031. No schedule change can happen unless the union agrees to open talks early. Bleacher Report noted official discussions are on hold while J.C. Tretter, the union's executive director, talks to players on team visits.

Owners push the plan

Patriots owner Robert Kraft has the fullest version: 18 regular-season games, two preseason games, two bye weeks and one overseas game per team every year. "I like it long term for the growth and development of the league," Kraft told New England reporters at the annual meeting in Phoenix. Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon backs the extra game and argues players would want it because it means more revenue. She also conceded the cost. "Another game means more impact on the body," she said, pointing to changes in the offseason program. Support is not unanimous. Browns owner Jimmy Haslam called the conversation "a little premature." Dallas owner Jerry Jones is in favor. Chiefs owner Clark Hunt tied 18 games to the international schedule: "From a schedule dynamic, having 18 games would facilitate that." Commissioner Roger Goodell has stayed careful. Before Super Bowl LX he said: "We're not there yet."

Yahoo Sports reported that a league bottom line once targeted at $25 billion under Goodell is being recalculated upward. Diario AS reported that more games would mean more television windows and advertising inventory.

International link

Owners have tied expansion to international growth. At their meeting in Orlando on 19 May 2026, they voted to raise the maximum number of league-run international games from eight to 10. Peter O'Reilly, the NFL's executive vice president of club business, international and league events, said there is "a path to 10 [international games] in 2027." The same vote removed a scheduling protection. Clubs could previously shield two scheduled opponents from international selection. Owners scrapped that right. Yahoo Sports described the amendment as groundwork for an 18-game schedule and a season-long international presence. The league already has nine international games in 2026, one above the old ceiling, because Jacksonville gave up a home date for a second London fixture.

What happens next

Owners have met twice without setting a date for Super Bowl LXII in February 2028. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk read that as leaving the door open for 18 games by 2027. ProFootballRumors reported that in an 18-game season with two bye weeks and two weeks between the conference championships and the Super Bowl, the Super Bowl would fall on 27 February 2028. It said factors including only one bye week, only one week between the conference championships and the Super Bowl, and a potential Labor Day weekend start could put it on 20 February. The 2027 international slate could reach 10 league games, or 11 with Jacksonville's London fixture.