Tom Brady’s ex-teammate goes off at NFL potentially balancing 18-game schedule with every player limited to 17 games

Momentum appears to be building around the possibility of the NFL eventually adopting an 18-game regular season. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk⁠ reported in March that league officials are seriously considering the move, potentially targeting the 2027 season for implementation.

One of the key obstacles remains player approval, particularly regarding workload and health concerns. Florio noted that a proposed compromise could involve limiting each player to a maximum of 17 appearances during the regular season, even if teams play 18 games overall.

During Wednesday’s episode of “PFT Live,” Florio asked former New England Patriots safety Devin McCourty whether players would be more willing to accept an 18-game season if individual participation were capped at 17 games.

McCourty made it clear he believes players would strongly oppose the idea of being forced to sit out while healthy.

“If I was in the NFLPA, I would be like, absolutely not,” McCourty said. “We’re not going to agree on that because you’re going to have a problem telling guys not to play, like, if I’m healthy.

“You imagine Tom Brady, you telling him in week 16 or 17, like, ‘Hey, I think we’re pretty good in this game. We’re going to sit you this game because we’re in a close battle for first place. And then, you know, the last week of the season, we have a team who’s also close. So we’ve done the math. We think this is a game to sit you.’ I don’t think that’s happening.”

McCourty spent his entire 13-year NFL career with the New England Patriots, playing alongside Tom Brady for a decade and winning three Super Bowls during that stretch.

Although an 18-game regular season is far from certain, the continued public discussion suggests the NFL is evaluating the idea. The NFLPA has already made it known it doesn’t want a further expansion. However, the union initially resisted the move from 16 to 17 games before that format was ultimately adopted in 2021.

NFL owners and coaches split on potential 18-game regular season

NFL owners and coaches remain divided over the possibility of expanding the regular season to 18 games. While some owners support the move because of its financial potential, multiple coaches have raised concerns about player health, injury risk, and the overall quality of play.

Supporters of the idea include Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots and Carlie Irsay-Gordon of the Indianapolis Colts, both of whom see an expanded schedule as an opportunity for long-term league growth and increased revenue.

“If we can make it work, I do think that it would be good,” Irsay-Gordon said during the NFL annual league meeting in March. “I think as long as the players want it, which I think they would, because it would mean more revenue, I think it’s ultimately a better product. I think it’s reasonable. It’s something we should work toward.”

However, not all league voices support the idea of expanding to an 18-game regular season. Jimmy Haslam, owner of the Cleveland Browns, has suggested the conversation may be moving too quickly, while coach Kellen Moore of the New Orleans Saints has pointed to the cumulative strain of a longer season, especially for teams that reach the Super Bowl.

As with any major scheduling change, the NFL would ultimately need approval from the NFL Players Association, meaning player consent remains key to any expansion proposal.