The rumors of an 18-game regular season have been around for some time. As have its detractors. Concern was raised when the NFL commissioner said earlier this year that the league might be heading toward this new schedule, with a few adjustments. Former wide receiver Julian Edelman is among those voicing concerns.
Speaking candidly about the increased danger of injury the NFL would be subjecting its players to, Edelman addressed the planned schedule when questioned about it on the Colin Cowherd show. He stated clearly,
“I am not a big fan of it. It’s a grind to get through an NFL season. After Week 8, everyone is hurt, everyone’s banged up. It’s a 100% injury rate in this sport and you can’t go out and say you’re trying to make the game safer (even if you’re changing rules) and adding games.”
Does Julian Edelman have a point?
The league has been announcing a number of new regulations in an attempt to make the game safer for its participants, but Edelman notes that their rhetoric does not correspond with their conduct. The revenue split is another point of contention that the three-time Super Bowl winner brought up with the players.
As everyone knows, the league has been batting for two extra games for quite some time. In 2020, it already achieved half of its goal when an additional game was added to the 16-game schedule. The conversation about that final game has now started. More revenue is the only possible conclusion, but players and Edelman contend that players should receive a portion of the revenue as well, rather than simply the owners.
