NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, “conveyed a sense of encouragement over the status of discussions on the collective bargaining agreement,” after the conclusion of the fall NFL owners meetings Wednesday.
That, according to USA Today, and the fact that a 17-game season is being discussed are the two primary pieces of news to come out of the two days in Fort Lauderdale.
Sources with knowledge of the conversations say that nearly half of the league owners prefer to stay with a 16-game schedule. An 18-game schedule was suggested and met with “strong opposition,” according to USA Today.
Among the details included in the conversation about potentially expanding to 17 regular-season games were the possibility of having the game be an international game, the reality that the extension would mean an added home game for half the league and an away game for the other half and the possibility of adding a second bye week with the game addition.
For players, primary concerns exist around the physical impact of the additional game and what the appropriate adjustment of salaries would be.
