The NFL has started to experiment with the idea of an 18-game schedule.
They’re thinking about implementing an 18-game schedule and that’s led to a lot of debates regarding whether it’s good for the league.
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle is fine with an 18-game schedule being approved but it has to include an extra bye week.
“No. 1, it’s inevitably, first, going to get to 18 games at some point, right? And I think I’ve said it ever since we got to 17 games, I was like, just give us two byes,” Kittle said, (first transcribed by ProFootballTalk). “And it just adds an extra week to the season anyway because instead of 18 weeks, now you’re at 19 weeks.”
The extra bye also gives players more time off, which they need since it’s already a long season. Having two byes makes perfect sense since it keeps the players refreshed during the regular season and into the playoffs.
Right now, the NFL plays a 17-game schedule and has one bye week for each team during the season. The top seed in each conference when the playoffs start gets another bye and doesn’t have to play in the wild-card round.
Time will tell if/when this 18-game schedule gets implemented.
Related: Roger Goodell Hints At NFL Expanding Regular Season To 18 Games