Steelers players react to potential 18-game NFL season: ‘All they care about is making money’

Could the NFL expand to an 18-game regular season? It certainly seems to be the way the league is heading after adding a 17th back in 2021.

A June 20 article from ESPN’s Brooke Pryor explored players’ reactions to that possibility, with Pryor noting that league commissioner Roger Goodell himself has stated he’d be in favor of expanding the regular season to 18 games and reducing the preseason to two.

The Steelers locker room was among those asked about the potential change. You can read an excerpt below:

“Whatever the league gives you, man, you just got to adjust to it,” [Damontae] Kazee said with a shrug. “I got to this point in my life, I’m an old head now, about to be 31. You just got to adjust to everything and go on from there. … Them giving us 18 games, I mean, I wouldn’t complain about it.

[DeShon] Elliott interjected: “I would. They don’t pay us enough.”

Kazee laughed and continued: “I mean, I’m straight. I wasn’t getting paid like this where I was at. … It can be positive for both sides. People look at it as another week to feed your family. … I love it.”

That exchange between the teammates is a microcosm of discussions being held in locker rooms around the league.

Steelers safety DeShon Elliott was quoted again later in the article, making the point that a longer season wouldn’t be fair to lower-paid players.

“They’re not paying us enough money already,” Elliott said. “They’re stingy with their money, so they want to make us play 18 games, as a player union, we should get way more money than what we’re getting — and not just the top guys. And the thing is, they’re not out here playing football. They’re not here running around putting their bodies on the line. They don’t care. All they care about is making money, but if you’re going to make money on the top end, the bottom end has to make money too.”

Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick was also quoted as being against the change, stating that there are plenty of games already, and dropping a preseason matchup wouldn’t make a difference to the starters who usually rest during that time of year already.

Guard James Daniels also stated that while he understands the monetary benefit of an extra game, it’s hypocritical coming from a league that claims to place an emphasis on player safety.

Pryor noted that 46% of the NFL players surveyed were in favor of the change to 18 games “with stipulations,” 27% had no response, 19% were completely against it, and 8% were in favor without any stipulations.

While it seems the majority of NFL players could be talked into approving an 18-game season, there are plenty in the Steelers’ locker room who are part of the 19 percent.

As for now, the NFL remains structured for 17 regular season games and three preseason matchups. Pittsburgh’s first preseason game of 2024 will occur on August 9 against the Houston Texans at home.