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Patriots Owner Pushes 18th NFL Game, Fans Reject

5/8/2026

33 7 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Patriots owner Robert Kraft wants the NFL to add an 18th regular-season game.
He says the extra game would let each team schedule 16 international contests via streaming.
A Tim Benz poll shows almost 73% of fans prefer staying at 17 games.
Critics warn the longer season would raise injury risk, lower game impact, and encourage tanking.
Fans fear higher ticket, concession and parking costs despite extra network revenue.

History

Historical Context

After the 1978 NFL season expanded each team’s slate from 14 to 16 games, increasing total contests and prompting a ten-team playoff format, the schedule became a lever for revenue and labor talks. Today, Patriots owner Robert Kraft urges an 18-game slate, citing streaming gains, while the NFLPA warns of heightened injury risk.

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Story summary

Patriots owner Robert Kraft wants the NFL to add an 18th regular-season game.
He says the extra game would let each team schedule 16 international contests via streaming.
A Tim Benz poll shows almost 73% of fans prefer staying at 17 games.
Critics warn the longer season would raise injury risk, lower game impact, and encourage tanking.
Fans fear higher ticket, concession and parking costs despite extra network revenue.

1 / 2