Lloyd Howell is quick to declare the sentiment of NFL players when the topic is broached – and like repeatedly – about an 18-game season.
They hate the idea.
“The majority of the guys I’ve talked to about it, they already feel that 17 is long enough,” Howell, executive director of the NFL Players Association, told USA TODAY Sports during an interview at the recent NFL combine, reiterating previous statements.
Then again, money talks. And Howell, 58, realizes the expansion of the NFL season is firmly planted as an expectation – “We know fans love football and they want more football,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said during Super Bowl week. That won’t go away.
No, it can’t happen without re-opening the collective bargaining agreement between the league and players who currently receive 48.5% of NFL revenues. But with the NFL set to christen a new league year and free agent market next week with another record salary cap, $279.2 million per team, it’s fair to wonder how much bigger the numbers would be with an 18-game slate.
“It’s just not as simple as saying, ‘Play more games. All revenue calculations account for that, so that’s more money in your pocket,” Howell said. “Oooh, slow down. What about guarantees? What if I get hurt with a longer season? What about my benefits? The list goes on and on. So, we’re all about making sure our guys are informed. Being prepared if that becomes a reality.”
Of course, as much as the NFL has pushed on 18 games for years, it’s all still preliminary talk now. The last time the regular season was expanded, adding a game in 2021, the 11-year CBA struck in 2020 under then-union chief DeMaurice Smith was barely approved by players, with a narrow 1019-959 margin. And there was no shortage of criticism that the NFLPA didn’t get enough in return for agreeing to a 17-game season.
‘As I understand how we got to 17, the guys at the time felt some kind of way,” said Howell, elected in June 2023 to succeed Smith. “So, if there is a silver lining to it, we’re talking about it now. There’s nothing imminent. There’s been no formal negotiation or conversation or anything like that. Guys are aware, so you’ve taken out the surprise factor.”
Goodell, meanwhile, routinely floats the idea of dropping another preseason game while adding a regular season game.
“Roger talks to the media or he says something, and it gets everyone’s attention,” Howell said. “I was asked about it during Super Bowl week. You may or may not have heard my response: No one I’ve talked to wants to play 18 games.”
The CBA expires after the 2030 season but can be modified at any point. Undoubtedly, the NFL’s decision on whether to opt-out of media rights deals, including Fox and CBS packages after the 2029 season and the Disney package (ABC/ESPN) after the 2030 campaign, looms as a significant trigger that weighs on the CBA with players. The NFL’s media rights deals are reportedly worth $110 billion over 11 years, extending through 2033.
“Everything in this business is business,” said Howell, preparing for meetings with the NFLPA board of player reps that begin on Tuesday in Maui. “So, if you want to look at it through the lens of business and there’s an upcoming inflection point around TV, I think everyone can appreciate TV as probably the largest revenue contributor to this business. So, if that’s the catalyst to then say, ‘Hey, Lloyd, we have to negotiate the length of this season because it’s part of what the providers would sign up to,’ OK, game on.
“But right now it’s just conjecture.”
Still, Howell seems well-suited to guide the NFLPA at this point in its history, alongside union president Jalen Reeves-Maybin. Although a level of tension between the league and players union is inherent, the circumstances are vastly different than when Howell’s predecessor began his 14-year tenure. When Smith succeeded the late Gene Upshaw as the union chief in 2009, he stepped into an intense labor war and inherited a looming lockout.
And Smith, a bombastic former prosecutor who seemingly saw a good scrap as a badge of honor, may have been perfect for the union at that point – even while overmatched against NFL owners.
Howell, who spent 34 years with a major consulting firm, Booz Allen Hamilton, from which he retired as chief financial officer and treasurer, is scoring points in NFLPA circles as a consensus-builder. Some agents raved about the collegial tone of their seminar in Indianapolis last week, which Howell opened by declaring that the union needed the input and influence of the agents – contrasting the vibe from previous years.
During his first year-and-a-half on the job, Howell didn’t just meet with players while visiting each NFL team. He also had individual sessions with nearly every NFL owner as he familiarized himself with the landscape and dynamics.
As he eyes the next labor deal, he is hardly drawing a line in the sand. But he knows. The NFL, with revenues well above $20 billion per year, is progressing on its mission for a more significant global footprint on top of the prospect of growing its media rights packages.
And hey, while remembering how Upshaw – despite numerous work stoppages and court battles – used to preach that you can’t “kill the golden goose,” it’s essential to note that the NFL’s salary cap has risen more than $54 million over two years. And while nine quarterbacks carry average salaries of at least $50 million, Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby just signed a three-year, $106.5 million extension that makes him the highest-paid non-quarterback in league history.
It’s a good time for labor peace.
“You cannot be at odds with your workforce,” Howell said. “You should never be talking about lockouts. You should never be talking about strikes. Because why? That hurts everybody.
“We’ll see. Baseball’s on the cusp of their next CBA negotiations. The WNBA is in the midst of theirs. Sports is thriving in general.”
In the meantime, Howell is intent on having a plan in place that reflects the priorities of his membership. Maybe that includes a modified offseason, another bye week, more guaranteed contracts, lifetime benefits, larger rosters, and then some.
Sure, there are no official negotiations at the moment. But just wait.
“My job is to make sure that we’re ready,” Howell said. “If they open up next week, I don’t want to be and I don’t want our members to be caught flat-footed because our head’s in the clouds. I want us to be ready because it’s a business, and you have to be ready for any opportunities that come our way.”
Which ultimately might be wrapped in an 18-game season.
Follow Jarrett Bell on social media @JarrettBell