The NFL and NFL Players Association have not yet opened formal negotiations on an 18-game regular season, Pro Football Rumors reported, citing veteran NFL reporter Mark Maske.
The status matters because some NFL owners have continued to target a possible 18-game schedule as soon as the 2027 season. PFR reported that the return of J.C. Tretter to a full-time NFLPA role had created expectations that labor talks could move faster after a period led by interim executive director David White.
NFL Schedule Talks Remain Informal
According to the report, there have still been no formal talks on schedule expansion or other collective bargaining issues. The current CBA runs through 2030, leaving time for the league and union to negotiate without forcing a near-term change.
An 18-game model described in the report would include each team playing one international game per year. That detail would make the format a league-wide operations change, not simply the addition of one domestic game to each club's calendar.
Tretter's background is relevant because he previously served in NFLPA leadership before resigning last summer. PFR noted that his familiarity with earlier informal conversations could help identify union concerns around added games, including travel, playing surfaces and roster sizes.
Players Have Not Embraced Added Game
The player side has not shown appetite for moving from 17 regular-season games to 18, according to the report. That resistance is one reason the absence of formal talks is more than a procedural detail.
Maske reported that there is still no formal timeline for CBA-related negotiations to begin. Some people around the process believe talks could start later in 2026, but the present status makes it increasingly likely the next two seasons stay at 17 games.
For now, the verified update is narrow but important: the NFL's expanded-schedule idea remains on the table, while the league and union have not yet entered the stage where terms, concessions and implementation dates can be settled.