Should the league change how it schedules games?

[Steptide]

I'd be cool with 18 games if every team got 2 byes and were allowed 60 players on game day. I actually think teams should be allowed more active players as it is 

[thronethinker]

Gets harder and harder every year to watch. I have a feeling that after the present ERA of Bills football, I will likely have much less interest in the League. I already give 0 time to all other leagues as it is.

[FloridaSnow]

6 minutes ago, Steptide said:

I'd be cool with 18 games if every team got 2 byes and were allowed 60 players on game day. I actually think teams should be allowed more active players as it is 

Heck, 3 byes would be even better in the name of player safety (along with the expanded rosters), but I don’t know if it’s practical

[Pecker]

There are some easy ways to raise revenue.  For example any given tv market only gets to play 3 games in the 4 slots between then 1 and 4pm games (cbs and Fox).  Why not simply let the stations play four games in the four slots? 

they could do two Thursday night games, where the opponents switch and then play each other on Friday night or Saturday night games.  

 

they could try and create college like rivalries between regional afc/nfc teams, with games played on neutral sites.  I’m thinking say panthers v titans, played in Knoxville, jags v saints, played in Tuscaloosa.   In SEC country football fans largely don’t care about the nfl. 

[Rocbillsfan1]

I’ve been saying for over a decade there should be at least 3 byes. There is no other big sporting event until March madness begins so they could easily stretch things out by adding more byes to give the players more rest. The current set up is beyond stupid and embarrassing. 

[Bills!Win!]

They need to do away with these constant overseas games. Do 1-2 a year. I don’t mean to sound cruel, but this is American Football 

 

I’ll settle for 3 if they make the 2 LA teams and the Jaguars be the hosts every year. The teams with the weakest fan bases. Maybe add Arizona to the list 

Edited 22 hours ago by Bills!Win!

[Nitro]

Two bye weeks where the whole league shuts down.  Increase the active rosters.  Ensure the playing surfaces are safe.  Not all are.  

[machine gun kelly]

2 hours ago, Billsfanatic8989 said:

SB on a Saturday would be cool

Amen.  Sleep in on a Sunday, relax after you youngins party, whil us middle aged guys throw pretzels at our TVs.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

I think there could come a point where teams will engage in major load management and not really care if they win or lose games.
 

Might be better to manage loads and end up as a healthy WC than kill yourself and end up as an injured 1 seed.

[BADOLBILZ]

7 hours ago, mannc said:

I’d like see the return of Labor Day weekend games…

 

6 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

They will never do this but I would be for it.

 

 

Yeah I would too but given the choice I'd rather have NFL games in February.  

[sven233]

As someone who loves the game of football more than the average fan, the more football I can watch, the better.  But, player safety and the quality of the game is top of mind for me as well.  Finding the right balance for everyone is tough.  There are logistical things that get in the way of scheduling and possibly creating the best possible quality of the game.

 

If they were to completely willing to blow up the way they do things, here's what I would love to see as a fan and as someone that wants to prevent injuries and improve the quality of the game.

 

- 18 games with AT LEAST 2 Bye weeks.  Quite honestly, I would be open to 3 Bye weeks if they were willing to extend the season/post season into March.

- The only Thursday Night or Overseas games that are played are done so between teams coming off of a Bye.  Adding a 2nd Bye, makes this easier, but in my mind, this is the main reason for adding a 3rd Bye week to make this even easier to do.

- Each team would be limited to only 1 Thursday Night game and these games are limited to either out of conference games or Division games between teams that have an equal amount of rest going into it.  Again, this is where adding a 3rd Bye would make this easier.

 

Obviously, they will never add a 3rd Bye week.  But, as a fan, I would welcome it for a lot of reasons.  The first being player safety.  The second would be the quality of the games.....the more the players are rested, the more likely it is they stay healthy.  And for a more selfish reason, it would make the season longer and the offseason shorter.  You would play to the middle of March.  You could do the combine in early April, the Draft in May, OTAs in June, and then still get back for Camp in August.  You can debate the need for a preseason game or 2, but they could start a bit later and push the whole season back a bit if needed.

 

Not everyone is going to like this idea.  Some will, some will hate it.  It's fine.  Regardless, it is never going to happen.  We will see 18 games with maybe 2 Bye weeks at most and the same short weeks that we currently have.

[Buffalo ill]

It should have remained a 16 game season.  Games should only be on sunday/monday.  Thanksgiving is ok I suppose.  That and it should remain in the continental US.

 

We all know that the corporate model is that there is never enough growth.  The beast will never be satisfied. 

 

[US Egg]

Expand to 18, play the conference championships at warm/domed neutral sights.

[fasteddie]

One simple thing that the Steelers could do is not schedule a home game the day after High School Championship games. There are 4 games today, so I would expect that the field tomorrow will be a mess! Jerks!

[Playoffs?]

What if it was an 18 game regular season, with games every other week?  Football almost year round!

[Johnnycage46]

The NFL has zero incentive to reduce games or cut back on international games or stop the Thursday games as they make a ton of money. Simple as that. 

[Mike in Horseheads]

On 11/28/2025 at 3:06 PM, GunnerBill said:

 

They will never do this but I would be for it.

only thing they could do close is 1/2 the league off week6 and other week 7. The Shield would never go dark in season

[Augie]

26 minutes ago, Mike in Horseheads said:

only thing they could do close is 1/2 the league off week6 and other week 7. The Shield would never go dark in season

 

More bye weeks means more weeks of product to sell, and they want as many weeks as possible. I don’t see a week with zero product available to the people looking for their football fix. 

 

EDIT: And that goes for the NFL’s gambling partners, as well. 

 

 

. 

Edited 1 hour ago by Augie

[YodaMan79]

Just thinking out loud here, so don’t come in too hot. The demands on players’ bodies are already pretty intense.

 

What about an 18-game schedule with 55–58 game-day active spots, where each player can only suit up for 16 or 17 games, plus two bye weeks? The goal is simple: get the best product and the healthiest players on the field when the playoffs roll around.

 

Teams with real depth and smart roster management would actually get rewarded. And honestly, it’d be fun to see a backup QB have to start a game or two by design, bring a little baseball-style strategy and matchup philosophy into the mix.

 

Without overthinking it, this feels like a win for everyone: players get more rest and recovery, owners get their 18th game, and fans get a better on-field product and two extra weeks of the season.

 

Fire away and let me know where I have a blind spot.