Report: NFLPA won’t discuss 18-game season until ‘at least early 2026’

The NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell have made many overtures about the league having an expanded 18-game regular-season schedule in its future, but according to sources, the NFL Players Association has not been willing to discuss it just yet.
According to a Washington Post report Tuesday, the NFLPA is not expected to formally negotiate with the NFL and team owners on a potential 18-game schedule and other issues regarding the labor agreement until “at least early next year.”
Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the “reason for the delay isn’t clear.”
Goodell and the team owners have been pushing for the expanded schedule to improve the league’s position from a media rights perspective, particularly in preparation for a new media package being on the line. Goodell has also made it known the league would like to expand the number of international games to at least 16.
From an NFLPA perspective, the added game and additional travel bring obvious player safety concerns up for discussion.
Still, it’s believed the expanded schedule is an inevitability. It’s just a matter of when the NFLPA will be willing to discuss and negotiate. The current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) expires after the 2030 season.