Roger Goodell wants more football.
The long-serving NFL commissioner oversaw the move from 16 to 17 games in 2021.
And speaking ahead of the Kansas City Chiefs‘ Super Bowl showdown against the Philadelphia Eagles, he outlined his case for one more.
“If we continue to focus on the safety, I think 18 is a potential,” he told Bloomberg after pointing to data on a decrease in concussions and injuries.
“We would take a preseason game away. So we would keep within that 20-game framework,” Goodell added.
“We actually started at 14 games and six preseason. We went to 16 and four, and now 17 and three (from 2021).
“So 18 and two is a logical step. But we would only do that with the players (in agreement).”
An agreement may be an issue — the NFL Players Association has already spoken out against the plan.
And Chiefs poster boy Patrick Mahomes — Tom Brady‘s heir apparent as football’s dominant quarterback — isn’t on board.
“I mean, I’m never trying to play any extra games, but I know how the business part of it works,” Mahomes told talkSPORT’s Brian T. Smith in New Orleans.
“So if we do add another game, I hope there’s a lot more that comes players’ way as far as player safety.
“Obviously the monetary side of it as well, and then different things that we can do to improve different parts of the game as far as health and safety for players not only right now but as people retire and they go on to different aspects of life.
GettyMahomes is the face of the NFL and his views will be taken seriously[/caption]
“Every football game adds up, it truly does. Just like we play a lot of playoff games, that hurts bodies for the longevity of careers.
“We want to go out there and continue to have a great product.
We don’t want to oversaturate the market, but at the same time, we want to take care of our player safety as well.”
Goodell cited safety data that suggested concussions are at a historic low.
But NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell Jr pushed back.
“Frankly, we’re not sure how he’s reaching that conclusion based on the data we’ve been given access to,” he said.
“No one wants to play an 18th game. No one. Seventeen games is already, for many of the guys, too long.
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“Seventeen games is also so lengthy that you’re still dealing with injuries going into the next season.
“So, there are a variety of issues that hang off of the length of the season before any formal negotiations.”
Mahomes played in 16 of 17 regular season games after sealing the AFC No.1 seed before Week 18.
Opposite number Jalen Hurts missed the Eagles’ final two outings after suffering a concussion.
But he returned for the wild-card round and has inspired three crushing victories so far to set up a revenge game against Mahomes.
The Chiefs edged Philadelphia 38-35 in a Super Bowl thriller two years ago for the first of back-to-back victories. No team has ever done three in a row.
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