It is no secret that the NFL would like to move to an 18-game season in the future; after all, that would mean they could increase revenue even more. However, there has been pushback from the players who think the season is already long enough and that the wear and tear on their bodies is too much to add even more.
While appearing on the Pardon My Take podcast, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow had an interesting proposal for how to make an 18-game season work. Burrow suggested that there would need to be a second bye week and that it should be week 13 for the entire league.
The Bengals quarterback said the Pro Bowl could happen during that time, as in how the NBA and MLB do their All-Star games. This is a great idea; the level of play late in the year, especially for teams with early byes, really falls off.
If you are going to add more games, you have to find a way to improve the quality of the late-season games, and this is a good way to do it. Burrow also mentioned how this could be around the holidays and give players some time with their families.
Ultimately, I don’t think the season should get longer, but if it does, an added bye would absolutely have to be a part of it.
Joe Burrow breaks down the perfect 18 game nfl schedule
2 bye weeks
Pro bowl week 13 pic.twitter.com/DCA2tnkpDC— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) July 8, 2024