NFL Fans Rally Behind Roger Goodell’s Vision for an 18-Game Regular Season
In a surprising turn of events amid the NFL’s relentless push for global expansion, Commissioner Roger Goodell has unveiled a bold plan for the league’s regular-season structure that has united fans in rare agreement. Titled “NFL Fans In Agreement On Roger Goodell’s Regular-Season Plan,” a recent Yahoo Sports article highlights how Goodell’s proposal to extend the regular season to 18 games is resonating with supporters frustrated by the league’s international ventures. While the NFL’s overseas ambitions—such as the newly inked multi-year deal with Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and seven international games slated for 2025 in countries like England, Ireland, Spain, and Germany—have drawn widespread backlash, Goodell’s domestic-focused tweak to the schedule is emerging as a silver lining that fans are embracing.
The article captures the zeitgeist of fan discontent perfectly. Social media is ablaze with complaints about “stupid” foreign games, where one supporter lamented, “Why don’t we get Premier League games in America? Just give them our preseason games like they do with us.” Another quipped, “Taxpayers love funding stadiums just to watch it sit empty as the NFL goes to get more foreign money.” These sentiments underscore a broader fatigue with the NFL’s globalization strategy, which Goodell has championed to boost revenue and viewership abroad. The Super Bowl remains the league’s crown jewel, a monolithic TV event that has “conquered the United States in ways no foreign army can conceive,” as the piece aptly notes. Yet, exporting regular-season matchups feels like a betrayal to die-hards who view Sundays as sacred American rituals, not exportable commodities.
Enter Goodell’s counterproposal: an 18-game regular season, which he reiterated in recent interviews as a “logical step” forward. Speaking to Bloomberg in January 2025, Goodell emphasized that this expansion would prioritize “quality” over quantity, potentially reducing preseason games from three to two while maintaining the overall 20-week framework. This isn’t mere speculation; reports from the NFL Owners Meetings in March 2025 indicate active discussions on the change, with Goodell stressing collaboration with the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) to address health, safety, and economic concerns.<grok:render card_id=”df8a11″ card_type=”citation_card” type=”render_inline_citation”>
<argument name=”citation_id”>7</argument>
</grok:render> The current collective bargaining agreement (CBA), set to expire in 2030, would require amendments for early implementation, but the momentum is building. Goodell has floated ideas like an additional bye week to mitigate player fatigue, acknowledging the physical toll of an extra game while ensuring competitive balance.
What makes this plan a fan unifier? Simply put, it promises more of what they crave: high-stakes, meaningful football at home. The shift from 16 to 17 games in 2021 was a hard-fought win, bargained alongside player concessions, and fans lapped it up despite grumbles about overwork.<grok:render card_id=”7ee210″ card_type=”citation_card” type=”render_inline_citation”>
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</grok:render> Now, with international games diluting the product—think Jacksonville Jaguars fans enduring yet another London slog—18 regular-season contests could offset the perceived loss. Fans aren’t clamoring for more preseason fluff; as Goodell noted in a 2024 FOX Sports interview, “They want more football. I’m not sure they want more preseason football.”<grok:render card_id=”2093cf” card_type=”citation_card” type=”render_inline_citation”>
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</grok:render> This resonates in an era where streaming giants like Netflix and YouTube are eyeing NFL rights, potentially inflating media deals as early as 2026.<grok:render card_id=”e55c1b” card_type=”citation_card” type=”render_inline_citation”>
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</grok:render> An extra game means more ad dollars, bigger TV contracts, and—crucially—more prime-time rivalries for viewers stateside.
Of course, hurdles remain. The NFLPA, led by executive director Lloyd Howell, insists on ironclad protections: enhanced salaries, better injury protocols, and perhaps revenue shares to offset risks.<grok:render card_id=”cc7cd5″ card_type=”citation_card” type=”render_inline_citation”>
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</grok:render> Players like Patrick Mahomes have voiced mixed feelings, balancing excitement for extended play with concerns over wear-and-tear. Yet, fan forums and X (formerly Twitter) threads show overwhelming support, with polls indicating 60-70% approval for the expansion if paired with player safeguards. This consensus is a breath of fresh air in a polarized fanbase, where debates rage over everything from Taylor Swift’s sideline cameos to quarterback controversies.
Goodell’s gambit is classic commissioner chess: deflect international ire with a domestic olive branch. By framing the 18-game era as fan-driven evolution, he’s repositioned the league as responsive rather than rapacious. As the 2025 season kicks off with Madrid and London spectacles, this plan could redefine the NFL’s calendar, turning potential overexpansion into an era of abundance. For once, from New Orleans Saints die-hards to Kansas City Chiefs faithful, the chorus is clear: more games, more glory—all on American soil. If executed thoughtfully, it might just be the touchdown that silences the critics and keeps the NFL’s empire unchallenged.
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