NFL Insider throws weight behind Joe Burrow's take on 18-game season
Joe Burrow seems to be getting comfortable with the idea of playing 18 games during the regular season. The Cincinnati Bengals quarterback floated the idea of a perfect regular season in his recent appearance at Barstool Sports' "Pardon My Take" podcast, although he also vouched for two bye weeks.
The NFL's wish to put together an 18-game regular season isn't a secret or nothing new, but the rebuttal from players has been massive. However, Burrow is one of the first stars in the league to be open to the idea. This caught the attention of Pat McAfee, who spoke about it during his show on Monday:
"Everybody loves it, except the actual players that have to play the 18 games. If we go back to when the conversation, of more than a 16-game season started, it felt like the NFL started out of the block with 18 games, and it felt like that was roundly dismissed," McAfee said.
"And so the league, I think, did a pretty smart thing. It went from 18 to 17. And rather than take one big giant step, they said, 'Let's take little steps, and we'll get to where we're going over time. But it's not going to be as quickly as we'd like it to be. And now, the fact that Joe Burrow is even talking about the 18 games, to me, it just seems like there is a momentum to this, there's a track. I don't think it's real right now, but it's only a matter of time before it does get real," he added .
The league instituted a 17-game regular season in 2020 when they signed the new CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) that runs until 2031. Joe Burrow also joined the NFL in 2020 as the No. 1 overall pick by the Bengals.
What's Joe Burrow's idea for the regular season?
Burrow was one of the first stars to openly accept the idea of 18 games, which would represent a major win for the league in regards to money coming through TV packages. Of course, many players oppose the idea due to the impact on their bodies with one more game in the season.
But Burrow's idea comes with a caveat. He wants two bye weeks during the regular season, with Week 13 representing the Pro Bowl week, sort of an All-Star Game style with all teams not playing. This would potentially allow all the players to get the extra rest they need while the league would get what it wants as well.
Do you agree with Joe Burrow on having an 18-game regular season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.