Fresh off the announcement of an expanded international game schedule, one might expect the NFL to be full steam ahead on all expansion plans. However, Commissioner Roger Goodell is now signaling a more cautious approach to another major change: the 18-game regular season. The league last expanded in 2021 when Goodell added a 17th game, but it looks like the necessary conversations to add another game have not started at this point.

“We have not had any formal discussions about it and frankly very little of any informal conversations,” Roger Goodell said in a press conference ahead of the Super Bowl. “It is not a given that we will do that. It’s not something we assume will happen. It’s something we want to talk about with the union leadership.”

Beyond the preliminary nature of the talks, Goodell noted that key details like a second bye week and roster size are critical hurdles that need to be addressed, while ensuring those changes do not compromise player safety or competitiveness. For the record, the teams currently play 17 games across 18 weeks, with one bye week to recover and reset. And before the regular season kicks off, the league hosts three preseason/exhibition games.

According to Goodell, the lack of a full-time NFLPA executive director has been a big reason behind the lack of talks. The union could potentially hire its next chief this spring, paving the way for discussions about the expansion of the regular season. However, several factors will need to be taken into account.

Franchises will need to assess and build their rosters accordingly. As a solution, during Goodell’s appearance on The David Rubenstein Show earlier this month, he proposed keeping the total season length at 20 weeks. According to his plan, the league would cut the preseason to two games while adding one more to the regular season, which would be a ‘logical step.’

Around the same time Goodell made those remarks, Patriots owner Kraft also weighed in with his perspective. Let’s just say his rationale is lucrative enough for the league to consider.

“And part of the reason is so we can continue to grow the cap and keep our labor happy because we’re sort of getting near the top here with the coverage; what, 93 of the top 100 programs on television are NFL games,” Kraft said. “Think about that. It’s really amazing.”

It sure is; however, there’s a big obstacle standing in the way: approval from the NFLPA. The interim executive director of the NFL Players Association has pushed back against the idea that an 18-game regular season is inevitable.

“The league has the right to bring any issue they want to the table and, presumably, to propose what they’re willing to give to receive what they want in negotiation but we’ll see when that happens,” David White, the interim executive director of the NFL Players Association, told the Associated Press‘ Rob Maaddi in September 2025. “We haven’t talked about it yet, and it certainly is not inevitable and should not be presented as such.”

Although the current labor agreement runs through March 2031, many expect a decision long before the current agreement expires. Former NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell had cautioned that the league must resolve health, safety, and financial concerns before making changes.

On another note, all of these discussions have emerged after Roger Goodell announced ‌a major global move.

Roger Goodell announces international moves ahead of the 2026 season

On Monday, Roger Goodell confirmed that the NFL will play nine international games in the upcoming season, the most on record. They will be played across four continents, seven countries, and in eight different stadiums. 

The schedule includes three games in London and one each in Mexico City, Paris, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, Melbourne, and Munich. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the NFL plans to conduct one game in Mexico City for the next three years.

Those games will take place at Estadio Banorte, which has previously hosted five NFL games in 2005, 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2022. With an estimated 40 million fans south of the border, it’s the largest fanbase of the sport outside of the U.S. 

So far, 62 regular-season NFL games have been hosted around the world, with the likes of London, Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Madrid, Dublin, São Paulo, Mexico City, and Toronto hosting games so far. This aggressive global push could help generate the kind of revenue that makes an 18-game season easier for the players’ union to accept.

As for Goodell, he has always advocated for the international push, focusing on the league’s strongest international markets. 

“It’s the ambition we have to be a global sport, but it’s also the demand we’re having,” Goodell said on Monday. “We’re hearing from cities all over the world that want to host these games and that really want to get more American football. That’s one of the things we’re really focused on.”

Moreover, he revealed the league’s long-term vision of letting all 32 franchises play at least one overseas game every year.

In December 2025, the league announced its return to Munich, Germany, in 2026 and 2028. They plan to host the regular-season games at FC Bayern Munich Stadium. The league first added the location to its schedule after witnessing a surge in viewership and interest. A 2022 game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Seattle Seahawks drew 69,811 fans.

And now, Roger Goodell plans to explore Asia. The potential locations include Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia, which will host the flag football tournament this year. As the NFL pushes its boundaries both on the calendar and the globe, the intertwined debates over player safety and international revenue will ultimately decide the league’s future landscape.