SAN FRANCISCO (AP) 鈥� Don鈥檛 add to the NFL’s regular season as well as provide well-maintained natural grass surfaces for players.
That was a main message from the NFL Players Association to the league.
鈥淥ur members have no appetite for an 18th game in the regular season,鈥� NFLPA interim executive director David White said Tuesday at the union鈥檚 annual news conference ahead of the Super Bowl. 鈥淵ou heard that last year when the executive committee was up here, and they were talking about what happens to their bodies when they鈥檙e with their families, when they鈥檙e with their kids. They were very open and candid about that. It鈥檚 punishing, and we can see that on the teams that have deep postseason runs.鈥�
White pointed out that several teams had significant injuries in mid-December: Patrick Mahomes and Micah Parsons tore ACLs in Week 15.
鈥淎nd if you look at wild-card weekend, which would be the 18th game, if you took that week, really significant injuries,鈥� White said. 鈥淪ome that were high profile, but a bunch that weren鈥檛, but they happened. And those injuries, they cost players pay, they can shorten careers, they can diminish lifetime earnings. And when your average career is already three to four years, that becomes something that is existential. So the 18th game is not casual for us. It鈥檚 a very serious issue. It鈥檚 something that comes out of negotiations, and nothing will move forward until players have the opportunity to account for all of those factors, take that into consideration, and then, through negotiations, agree or not to the 18th game. But as it stands right now, players have been very clear. They don鈥檛 have any appetite for it.鈥�
Last week, Patriots owner Robert Kraft made it seem inevitable that the league would eventually expand the regular season from 17 to 18 games.
NFL Commissioner on Monday, saying it鈥檚 鈥渘ot a given.鈥�
The current collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and its players鈥� union expires in 2030.
Playing surfaces
The NFLPA has long sought to make every team implement natural grass in its stadium. White said the union has made 鈥渕eaningful progress鈥� with the league on field safety.
鈥淥ur members have stated over 90% of them that they prefer grass,鈥� White said. 鈥淭he data that we do have access to shows that the energy return from a synthetic surface is significantly higher than it is on natural grass, which reinforces what players say just from their experience and from common sense. It鈥檚 just hard, it鈥檚 harder on their bodies. It almost doesn鈥檛 matter a synthetic surface. So we need this data if we鈥檙e gonna standardize fields and have them be at the level where our players are truly gonna be safe. The work isn鈥檛 finished, there鈥檚 a lot for us to do, but again, it鈥檚 progress, and we鈥檙e happy about that.”
Thursday games
NFLPA president Jalen Reeves-Maybin said the short turnaround for Thursday night games is an ongoing issue for players.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 been obvious that players do not support that fast turnaround,鈥� said Reeves-Maybin, a special teams ace with the Chicago Bears. 鈥淭his game has been played on one day a week for decades, and there鈥檚 a reason for that. It鈥檚 what goes into playing a football game mentally, physically, emotionally. It鈥檚 not the NBA, it鈥檚 not the MLB. It鈥檚 very challenging on players now. Maybe there are some ways to circumvent that and to ensure that the players are being protected in those ways. I would say, I think guys like to have Friday, Saturday, Sunday off. That鈥檚 something I appreciate. But the turnaround Sunday to Thursday, especially for the team traveling, it鈥檚 a really tough thing.鈥�
International games
The NFL is playing nine international games in 2026 and wants to expand to 16. White said players appreciate the league鈥檚 desire to make the NFL a global powerhouse, but expressed a desire to improve their working conditions.
鈥淲hen players have a good experience, we鈥檙e happy to admit that they have a good experience. They speak positively about it,鈥� White said. 鈥淗ere鈥檚 the issue. They鈥檝e got a lot of feedback about not having good experiences, because it鈥檚 inconsistent.鈥�
___
AP NFL:
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
