Kraft today: when schedule goes to 18 games, EVERY team will play once overseas

[Tunescribe]

really.

Yes, really.

Just a few year ago, teams played 4 preseason and 16 regular season games, with starters playing all but the last preseason games.

Oh come on, you're talking like an NFL newbie here. Starters ALWAYS have seen brief duty in most preseason tilts, sometimes going a bit further in the third game (half to third quarter) -- traditionally referred to as the "dress rehearsal."

The safety equipment and rules were very different. There have been many advances in the rules and in equipment. Do you think that the move to 17 games has caused lots more injury. I strongly disagre.

If you don't think the move to 17 regular-season games hasn't resulted in greater injury attrition you haven't been paying attention.

Data search:

While adding the 17th game aimed for revenue, studies and observations suggest the longer season, combined with shorter offseasons, likely increases overall player wear-and-tear, leading to more injuries, especially as seasons progress, though specific injury types vary, with some studies showing slight upticks in arm injuries and concussion reports, alongside efforts to mitigate harm through rule changes.

Evidence Suggesting More Injuries

• Increased Attrition: The extra game extends the season, meaning less time for players to recover, turning it into a game of endurance and attrition where favorite players are more susceptible to season-ending injuries late in the year, notes a Facebook discussion and the Stillman Exchange blog.
• Concussion Trends: Analysis published in ScienceDirect found an increase in reported concussions from 2021-2023, potentially linked to the longer season, though increased awareness also plays a role.
• Player Concerns: Some players, including Aaron Rodgers and Richard Sherman, opposed the expansion due to concerns about more plays leading to more injuries and shorter careers, according to The Guardian.

Conclusion
While data is complex, the prevailing sentiment and some evidence point towards the 17-game season contributing to greater physical demands and a higher risk of injuries, especially as the season wears on, despite league efforts and rule changes to improve safety, notes ESPN and the Stillman Exchange blog.

 

[FCB02062]

With 18 games they absolutely need to increase roster sizes. Teams should be able to activate several more players each game and increase practice squads.

 

[mgteich]

Players should at least bargain for an “every other year” model for this.

8 international games a year, 16 teams. Next year, 8 with the other 16.

Do you believe that the union doesn't like international games?

As has been posted, we will go to one a year and then to two games a year, per team (presumably, one home and one away game).

 

[mgteich]

Yes, really.



Oh come on, you're talking like an NFL newbie here. Starters ALWAYS have seen brief duty in most preseason tilts, sometimes going a bit further in the third game (half to third quarter) -- traditionally referred to as the "dress rehearsal."



If you don't think the move to 17 regular-season games hasn't resulted in greater injury attrition you haven't been paying attention.

Data search:

While adding the 17th game aimed for revenue, studies and observations suggest the longer season, combined with shorter offseasons, likely increases overall player wear-and-tear, leading to more injuries, especially as seasons progress, though specific injury types vary, with some studies showing slight upticks in arm injuries and concussion reports, alongside efforts to mitigate harm through rule changes.

Evidence Suggesting More Injuries

• Increased Attrition: The extra game extends the season, meaning less time for players to recover, turning it into a game of endurance and attrition where favorite players are more susceptible to season-ending injuries late in the year, notes a Facebook discussion and the Stillman Exchange blog.
• Concussion Trends: Analysis published in ScienceDirect found an increase in reported concussions from 2021-2023, potentially linked to the longer season, though increased awareness also plays a role.
• Player Concerns: Some players, including Aaron Rodgers and Richard Sherman, opposed the expansion due to concerns about more plays leading to more injuries and shorter careers, according to The Guardian.

Conclusion
While data is complex, the prevailing sentiment and some evidence point towards the 17-game season contributing to greater physical demands and a higher risk of injuries, especially as the season wears on, despite league efforts and rule changes to improve safety, notes ESPN and the Stillman Exchange blog.

Fair enough.

I think that the extra game is far outweighed by the shortening of off-season preparation time. There should lots, lot more practices. Scrimmages should be at the discretion of teams and should not be limited by the league. The preseason should simply become a thing of the past. I refuse to believe that in 2026, professional athletes cannot play 20 games a year. We should focus on what it takes to better prepare players.

And yes, we probably should have 2 or even 3 byes.

 

[TB12TheGoat]

**** 17 games. **** 18 games

16 regular season games. 12 playoff teams. 4 byes

IT WAS THE PERFECT FORMAT

 

[lancerman]

RKK on 98.5 today: the league plans for a two-game preseason and 18-game regular-season, with every team playing one game overseas each year. He didn't give a timeframe, but apparently it's on the drawing board. The reason, he said, is to expand revenue (of course).

Yes, this appeared inevitable but still ...

This was on it's way the minute the players finally caved on 17 games. That was just a bridge to 18 to warm everyone up to it.

 

[lancerman]

Stronger, but is it better? WWE is also strong, but is it wrestling? Or purely acting for entertainment?

Better is always going to be subjective. The NFL is more watched than ever and Kraft even cited that as a reason why the league is going all in now to get this done. I mean let's be real in the 80's and 90's, if you didn't have a super team you were kinda just twiddling your thumbs and hoping for a miracle. Was that better just because there is nostalgia from that? Idk. Change is inevitable, but they have basically turned the league into a juggernaut product.

Americans basically turn their brain off and watch football every Thursday, Sunday and Monday as appointment viewing.

 

[mgteich]

This was on it's way the minute the players finally caved on 17 games. That was just a bridge to 18 to warm everyone up to it.

You mean the players finally agreed to be paid more for substituting a regular game for a preseason game. Players share the revenue. Regular season games bring in more money than preseason games. It is really that simple.

BTW, how many season ticket holders prefer having an extra real game instead of a pre-season game. Do the ticket holders prefer to pay for 1 or 2 preseason games?

 

[ScottishPatriots]

Players should at least bargain for an “every other year” model for this.

8 international games a year, 16 teams. Next year, 8 with the other 16.

They want everyone to play because imagine how much they can sell a 16 game package played mostly in the 09:30 EST window to TV for to Netflix, Amazon or whoever else wants it for the games that are played in Europe.

Forget the money each game itself generates with tickets and merchandise that tv contract is going to be a huge revenue stream, even the Thursday night football package is worth about 1 billion a year so it would be in that kind of ball park again for the NFL if they get everyone playing 1 game internationally.

 

[ErniesPinkStripes]

**** 17 games. **** 18 games

16 regular season games. 12 playoff teams. 4 byes

IT WAS THE PERFECT FORMAT

Yea but you see, each owner needs at least 3 private jets, 4 compounds and at least 2 islands -Article 4.21 of the Billionaire Bylaws

 

[Thelonious]

At 17 games, I think the NFL is at, probably beyond, the limit of what you can ask of human physiology. I also think that eliminating yet another preseason game will result in even more early-season crap play and that because of the loss of the conditioning which was built in preseason, there is an even greater likelihood of injury.

Some are driven into a pantytwisting frenzy by the "exploitation of the poor players" by soulless billionaires. Horseshit. It's a business. If this comes as news to you, you've got some serious cognitive limitations, or perhaps you are a Harvard graduate, much the same thing, of course. Others wring their hands over the weakness of the players' union, preventing them from protecting themselves from new-era slavery. More horseshit, obviously.

I myself could not care less whether the game "goes international." Who give a **** if some Frenchman want to sit in the stands with a crudité platter on his knee and a glass of Pouilly-Fuissé in his hand, winkling snails out out of the shell with his escargot fork? It's not as if Europeans have ever shown much of an affinity for manly activities anyway, is it? In their alpha sport, you get a bunch of male models booting a ball around for hour after hour to no apparent purpose. Looks like Brownian Motion or a free-style minuet. Leave them to their own girlish diversions.

If the league insists on having a European franchise, establish a European League, limiting the number of Americans who can play on the teams, so the Europeans don't get hurt too bad. Then, if after a few decades or so they get the hang of the game, they can fly on over here and get their asses kicked once a year by Real American Men. It'll work. They're into humiliation anyway, and kowtowing to the Chinese will likely not fully meet their need for it.

Here's my plan. Make it like it was in 1962 or so. In fact, make EVERYTHING like it was in 1962. That'll work too.

 

[Mayeniac]

I am happy to hear we will be getting more games soon.

It's appointment viewing for me and I'll happily watch whatever they give me.

Also I'm not a fan of the current playoff format and think an extra team makes sense too. No bye week for anyone makes it more fair and a tougher challenge for the eventual winner (it should be tough).

 

[Thelonious]

I am happy to hear we will be getting more games soon.

It's appointment viewing for me and I'll happily watch whatever they give me.

Also I'm not a fan of the current playoff format and think an extra team makes sense too. No bye week for anyone makes it more fair and a tougher challenge for the eventual winner (it should be tough).

Hopefully you are being facetious. If not, this is a deeply asinine post, verging on pathological.

 

[Mayeniac]

Hopefully you are being facetious. If not, this is a deeply asinine post, verging on pathological.

Your a condescending ahole aren't you?

Unless you're plan is to boycott the 18th game you can get down off you're high horse.

 

[Thelonious]

You're a condescending ahole aren't you?

Unless you're plan is to boycott the 18th game you can get down off your high horse.

Condescension is entirely justified, even mandatory, when dealing with a jackass like you. As for my being an *******, yes, I can be, when called for.

Your second "you're" is wrong, by the way. "Your" was the one you wanted. Maybe have an adult edit your posts.

 

[n1997y]

Your a condescending ahole aren't you?

Somehow I could tell that you’re new here even before I looked at your post counts.

To be fair Thelonious claims to be a philosopher so maybe not an a*hole just easily mistaken for one.

 

[TommyD4207]

Somehow I could tell that you’re new here even before I looked at your post counts.

To be fair Thelonious claims to be a philosopher so maybe not an a*hole just easily mistaken for one.

Thelonius is
A good guy to have around
Porque no lost dos?

 

[mgteich]

Your a condescending ahole aren't you?

Unless you're plan is to boycott the 18th game you can get down off you're high horse.

no reason to respond. He wants everything to back to 1962 or so, before the AFL.

There will always folks who long for their idea of ideal good old days in football and in all things.

 

[VrabelJr]

Surely lower attendance, fewer games, fewer games on TV, much lower revenue is good for SOMEONE. ROFL

Aren’t you the guy who used to make all the threads about individual players full of bad opinions that age like milk?

There is zero correlation between revenue and the quality of teams on the field. Anyone watching football since 2010 can see a clear decline in quality.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

He said this just now on the radio with high confidence.

Not an IF, just a WHEN.

8 home games, 8 away games, 2 international games per year for every team.

So, it's not just the extra games that will produce wear and tear on the players, but also travel.

They'll need to expand rosters and change the rules.

I mean he's actively pushing it. From The Athletic article on it:

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft spoke confidently in an interview Tuesday about the NFL expanding to an 18-game schedule and having each team play one international game per season.

“I want to tell you guys, we’re going to push like the ****ens now to make international more important with us,” Kraft said during an interview on the Zolak & Bertrand show. “Every team will go to 18 (regular-season games) and two (preseason games) and eliminate one of the preseason games. Every team, every year, will play one game overseas.”

**** you, Bobby. **** you.