Is the NFL season too long?

Even though the NFL season is considerably shorter than the NBA, MLB and NHL campaigns, it can still feel like a bit of a grind down the stretch of the calendar. Teams are often hanging on for dear life if they are trying to make a postseason run, while others try to uncover motivation to finish the year on a high note. Some might say the NFL season is too long, while others would welcome its expansion.

As the Pro Football Hall of Fame website notes, the NFL regular season consisted of 16 games from 1978-2020, which is the standard that most fans are familiar with. This is the longest stretch of time any season length has been in force during the NFL’s existence.

Starting with the 2021 campaign, the NFL added a 17^th regular season game, which pushed the season to 18 weeks. Additionally, the league added a seventh playoff team in each conference, and eliminated a bye week for the second seeded team in each conference.

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Some believe that the NFL’s decision to extend its regular season has negatively impacted the product, and elongated what was an already punishing schedule. James Dator of SBNation criticized the call in March 2021, commenting that the integrity of valued records could be compromised, in addition to the idea that divisional games would be de-valued.

Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post wrote in January 2023, “17 games doesn’t make sense. It never made sense. For 20 blissful years, the NFL enjoyed that rarest of all things; the perfect schedule. 32 teams. 16 games. Eight divisions. Everything about that calendar made sense. It was almost musical in its precision, in its fairness, in its length.”

Vaccaro continued, “Look let’s just say it; the season feels like it’s lasted forever. This should be a playoff weekend, not one with just a smattering of relevant games. There should be one regular-season game played after New Year’s, then let’s call it a season and get on with matters of greater importance.”

It’s not just followers of the game who had an issue with the expanded regular season. Former NFL offensive lineman JC Tretter told Sports Illustrated in January 2022, “It’s almost like a body-clock thing. You get used to the season being done at 16, because that’s how you’ve always trained. So it’s definitely different.”

Tom Brady told the Let’s Go podcast in November 2021, “I thought it was a terrible decision. So I don’t like the fact that we’re playing a 17^th game at all. I think 16 is plenty. And, again, you’re eight games into the year and you’re not halfway through, so that’s kind of a little frustrating aspect.”

There’s been additional chatter of the league adding an 18^th game in the near future. NFL offensive lineman Ryan Kelly told ESPN in June 2024, “18 games sounds great when Roger (Goodell) is on the Pat McAfee show. Until you’re the one that’s going out there and putting the helmet on for 18 of those games, then come talk to me.”

As players and columnists have alluded, the expansion of the season has appeared to be a shameless money grab by the NFL. With that said, it’s working, as ratings and attendance indicates that there is no fan fatigue when it comes to paying for or watching another game.

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Even though the players put their bodies in harm’s way for an additional tilt, they are compensated for doing so. Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network wrote that the expanded schedule triggers a clause in the Collective Bargaining Agreement which boosts player related revenue to over 48 percent.

It’s also important to touch on the legalized gambling market, which has skyrocketed in recent years. The NFL has always been a favorite for bettors everywhere, and adding one more game gives die-hard wagerers yet another opportunity to place money across the slate of games. The New York Post estimated in September 2024 that $35 billion in legal wagers would come in during the 2024 campaign.

The NFL has also taken liberties with the days they play their games. Down the stretch of the 2024 campaign, contests were played on Christmas on a Wednesday, in addition to what has become the customary Thursday night game. Saturday games were also scheduled. For ardent NFL fans, spreading out the week like this is a dream come true.

The NFL also signed an 11-year, $111 billion media rights deal in 2021, shortly after the 17-game schedule was finalized. More content means more interest for broadcast partners, so that was another way the NFL cashed in on an expanded season.

As mentioned earlier, Vaccaro talked about the perfect symmetry of the 16 game NFL season. While 17 games ruined that, and 18 games wouldn’t help it, adding yet another game could give the NFL an even greater windfall when it comes to the Super Bowl. If they did add an 18^th game, it would push the Super Bowl a week, to land on the Sunday before President’s Day, when most of the U.S. has off from work.

Let us know your feelings about the length of the NFL season by dropping us a comment!

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