There is no end in sight to the NFL’s greed train. Between an increase in the international slate and an unrelenting push for an 18-game regular season, the league must be put in its place before it damages the sport for good.
Let’s start with the push for an increased international slate, which already didn’t make sense for the National Football League. The league will play a record nine games overseas in 2026, including the first games in France and Australia. Los Angeles and San Francisco will play their season opener down under, something that Kyle Shanahan isn’t the biggest fan of.
Beginning Week 1 is tough for everyone, as they have to get back into the swing of things. Now, the Rams and 49ers have to do it 19 hours away against a bitter rival. If the league is going to send two teams to face each other, it should be between interconference foes only, not divisional opponents.
Eventually, the NFL will force every team to play internationally at least once a year. That’s likely coming sooner than you think. While the league has every right to promote its product globally, it’s nonsensical to schedule international games in places where American football will never gain traction, no matter how many times you shove it down their throats.
Additionally, the NFL wants to expand its presence by adding an 18th regular season game. We all know that’s inevitable. Colts Owner and CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon believes an 18th game would make the league “a better product.” Patriots Owner Robert Kraft is also *unsurprisingly* supportive of lining his deep pockets further … I mean, an added game.
The NFL was better when it had a 16-game regular season. With the 17th game, the last week or two, depending on a team’s playoff standings, are essentially “blow-off” games for teams who have already clinched. Meaning that added game has mostly contributed little to the game besides giving fans more football, quality be damned.
Also, for a league so concerned with player safety, they mostly seem content with some teams playing 21-22 games, depending on how deep they advance in the postseason. That doesn’t even factor in the preseason, which would tack on two to three games to that total.
You know the saying, “everything in moderation”? The NFL would greatly benefit from some much-needed moderation, as the added game and international slate are going to turn casuals off to the sport, the very people they’re trying to win over. Even die-hard fans like myself are having issues with everything the league is doing. And we haven’t even dived into all the streaming games and the fact that the Super Bowl will be pay-per-view one day. Guess that’ll be a conversation for another time. Yippee.
The NFL is a business and a monopoly on the North American sports scene. Its greed knows no bounds in how it opts to expand its product, yet something must be done before too many fans decide that they cannot stomach it anymore.
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