The NFL has tested the PR waters by going with an 18-game schedule.
Ryan Kelly is here for the counterpoint. The Pro Bowl center and NFLPA representative for the Indianapolis Colts spoke out candidly against an expanded schedule on Wednesday. He is “absolutely not” interested in an 18-game slate or Commissioner Roger Goodell’s attempt to push one.
Colts NFLPA rep Ryan Kelly answers a ton of questions today over 18 games.
On whether Kelly would want that: “Absolutely not.” pic.twitter.com/a3OfSQVjhH
— Kevin Bowen (@KBowen1070) June 5, 2024
“Yeah, 18 games sounds great when Roger says it on the Pat McAfee podcast,” Kelly said in a media bash after Colts minicamp practice. “But until you’re the one that goes out there and puts on a helmet for eighteen of those games, then yeah, come talk to me.”
Roger in this case is Roger Goodell. Kelly, who is also a vice president on the NFLPA executive committee, was referring to Goodell’s appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” in April during the NFL draft in Detroit.
Goodell spoke with McAfee in front of a crowd of fans and took on the role of cheerleader in promoting an 18-game schedule.
“I think we’re good at 17 games now, but… I’m not a fan of preseason… I’d rather replace a preseason game with a regular season game… If we’re 18 (regular season) and 2 (preseason), that is not unreasonable.” -Roger Goodell pic.twitter.com/4QxyVGppMq
— Terrible announcement (@awfulannouncing) April 26, 2024
“I think we’re good at 17 now,” Goodell said. “But listen, we’ll see how we move forward. I’m not a fan of the preseason. I don’t think we need three more preseason games. I don’t believe in it.”
Goodell then turned and pointed to the crowd.
“I don’t think these guys like it either,” he continued. … “The reality is, I think I’d rather replace a preseason game with a regular season game. That’s quality, right? If we get to 18-2, that’s not unreasonable.”
Goodell faced no resistance from a amped-up crowd that showed up to watch the second day of the draft in person. Fans cheered his proposal for an 18-game regular-season schedule and two preseason games.
Kelly didn’t think the proposal was very reasonable. He lamented the creeping number of additional matches, referring to the expansion of the competition from 16 matches to 17 in 2021. That expansion was collectively negotiated and made against the backdrop of greater awareness of the physical toll football takes on players, including concussions and CTE.
“If people understood how difficult it was to play sixteen, they would do it too [add] another one, right?’ Kelly said. “They’re canceling the preseason games. Well okay. Who is that going to hurt? The guys who don’t have a chance, the guys who haven’t been drafted yet or guys who are in the late round and need to improve themselves.
“The fans see it as – they don’t watch the preseason games. But they have no idea what’s going on in the building, right?
The back-and-forth over expansion comes against the backdrop of a reported NFLPA proposal to revamp the league’s offseason schedule. Some have speculated that the proposal is a harbinger of inevitable schedule expansion.
The NFL, meanwhile, is taking cues from fans, who continue to consume as much football as the league has to offer. In the future, this means multiple matches at Christmas, including two in 2024, when the holiday falls on a Wednesday. Goodell is clearly hoping this also means an 18-game schedule and the additional revenue it will bring.
Will the NFLPA eventually sign off? Kelly’s not on board. But it will ultimately come down to a vote among the players — who approved the expansion from 16 to 17 games — and whether ownership will offer enough concessions to entice them into the negotiation process.
