It seems as if, no matter how many games are played, Americans just can’t get enough of their gridiron football. And according to the bigwigs over at the National Football League, that insatiable appetite is beginning to appear on the international scene as well.
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The NFL has been steadily attempting to grow its presence outside of the U.S. for quite some time now. And while it’s succeeded in its efforts to extend both the regular season and the scope of its international series, the owner of the New England Patriots, Robert Kraft, now believes that the league is ready to take the next step forward in its plan for global domination.
“We’re going to push like the dickens now to make international more important with us,” Kraft noted in a recent interview with 98.5 The Sports Hub. “Part of the reason is so we can continue to grow the cap and keep our labor happy.”
According to the 84-year-old owner, the fact that the NFL is responsible for “93 of the top 100 programs on television” signifies that the league has essentially reached the height of its powers in the States. In other words, there’s no more capital left for them to squeeze, so a continued move into the international market appears to be the only way for owners to maintain their dreams of exponential growth and “long-term labor peace.”
Kraft also confirmed what many had come to suspect ever since the league first announced its transition to 17-game seasons back in 2021, and that’s the fact that an 18-game season is now inevitable. In suggesting that it’s no longer a matter of if but rather when, the Patriots’ owner explained that there is already a rough plan in place for how the NFL will go about that proposal.
“Every team will go to 18 and two and eliminate one of the preseason games,” he stated. In reality, however, that may be much easier said than done.
In February of 2025, the executive director of the NFL’s Players Association, Lloyd Howell Jr., challenged the league’s commissioner, Roger Goodell, and his claim that the NFL’s safety data promoted the idea of extending the regular season, stating:
“No one wants to play an 18th game. No one… Seventeen games is already, for many of the guys, too long. Seventeen games is also so lengthy that you’re still dealing with injuries going into the next season. So, there are a variety of issues that hang off of the length of the season before any formal negotiations.”
Howell also suggested that “Any commentary outside of a formal negotiation is just commentary,” so even though Kraft’s comments are still new, the NFLPA will likely continue to adhere to that policy.
It’s also worth noting that the league’s collective bargaining agreement, which was initially ratified in 2020, doesn’t expire until 2030, so unless it is voted on and agreed to by both the owners and the players, things will remain as they are for the next several years.
