The NFL added a 17th game to the regular season back in 2020, and there have been conversations about adding an 18th. Cleveland Browns guard Joel Bitonio, however, has some thoughts about it (or lack thereof).
The Browns are holding their annual golf outing for charity, and Bitonio stood in front of the media. When asked about the idea of an 18-game season and whether or not he’d see himself playing in one, Bitonio gave a quick three-word answer (via Cleveland dot com’s Mary Kay Cabot):
“I hope not.”
It took the players a long time to come around to the idea of a 17-game season, let alone adding another just a half-decade later. Especially for Bitonio, who is on the wrong side of 30 and coming off of the most injury-hampered season of his career.
The NFLPA still holds cards to negotiate with the NFL, so it will be interesting to see how this unfolds and if the league will get its way with an additional regular season game.
#Browns Joel Bitonio on if he thinks he’ll ever play in an 18 game season: “I hope not”
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) June 3, 2024