Dallas Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones said it’s “probably inevitable” that the NFL will move from a 17-game schedule to an 18-game schedule.
The idea of the NFL adding one more regular-season game and moving the Super Bowl to Presidents’ Day weekend has been discussed on and off in recent months, with Roger Goodell and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow also discussing the idea.
Jones believed the switch would eventually happen.
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Dallas Cowboys Chief Operating Officer and Director of Player Personnel Stephen Jones before an NFL preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on August 20, 2022 in Inglewood, California. (Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“I’m a member of the competition committee, and we’ve been talking about this knowing it was probably inevitable,” Jones, the son of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, said on The Athletic’s “Scoop City” podcast.
“At the end of the day, the players are happy with what they are being paid and in most cases half of the income that comes in goes to the players, so they are certainly well paid.”
“We all know that increasing it to 18 games would create a huge revenue surge and certainly a positive in terms of funds available for player payments and compensation.”
Jones said considerations at the league level include how worn down players’ bodies are and how general managers and coaches will handle 53-man players during an 18-game season, which could result in an extra bye week.
Stephen Jones and Jerry Jones Jr. during a game at State Farm Stadium on September 24, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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Burrow appeared on Barstool Sports’ “Pardon My Take” and theorized how an 18-game schedule could work.
“I think it would be nice to have a normal bye week schedule like we have now, spread out, and then have something like a Pro Bowl break, like Week 13, and then have 7-on-7 or any kind of skill challenge like in the NBA,” he said.
“I think that would boost viewership for the Pro Bowl and also give everybody a bye week before the final six games of the year.”
Goodell spoke about an 18-game schedule earlier this year, and he said playing fewer preseason games could help solidify that plan.
“I think 17th is OK,” Goodell said on “The Pat McAfee Show,” “but we’re going to figure out what to do next. I don’t like the preseason. … Realistically, I’d rather play regular-season games than preseason games. It’s just a matter of quality.”
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell spoke to media during a press conference ahead of the Super Bowl, which will be held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on February 5, 2024. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
“When you get to 18 and two, it’s not unreasonable. [Super Bowl Sunday] “It’s a three-day weekend until President’s Day weekend, then we’re off until Sunday night, then we’re off on Monday.”
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Any increase in the number of games would require approval from owners and players.
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