Browns’ Pro Bowler gives firm stance on major NFL topic that could soon come into play
A few years ago the NFL made a decision to go from 16 games to 17 games in the regular season and ever since there has been discussion to expand from there. More games are more money and the NFL is a business. 18 games have been a discussion for a few years now and […]
A few years ago the NFL made a decision to go from 16 games to 17 games in the regular season and ever since there has been discussion to expand from there.
More games are more money and the NFL is a business. 18 games have been a discussion for a few years now and may not be too far off of being a thing that happens.
Cleveland Browns left guard Joel Bitonio weighed in on the possibility of playing in an 18-game season and the veteran doesn’t seem to be a fan of it happening at all.
“I hope not,” Joel Bitonio told local media on Monday during some media availability.
BItonio has been relatively healthy for the last decade outside of some minor injuries last season that affected his play. Still, Bitonio gutted it out for 15 games and the two games missed were his first since 2016. The All-Pro left guard will be 33 years old when the season comes around and is not getting any younger.
The NFLPA is set to propose a change to how OTAs work and there is a thought that it could be the start of the NFL countering with an extended season. Veterans like Bitonio may not look at the extra game as a good thing with how strenuous the game already is and the toughness that it takes to get through a full season.
A longer season would make depth on the roster even more important and if you follow the Browns you know how important that is. Look no further than last year when the Browns replaced both tackles, played five different quarterbacks, lost Nick Chubb, and multiple other starters during the 2023 campaign. An extra game means one more time of game planning and everything that comes with that, including injuries.
If an 18-game season comes about for the NFL it may not happen until 2026 or beyond, but at some point, it looks like it is coming. Change is hard to get used to sometimes but players around the NFL may have to get used to it before long.
Jameis Winston has bold words on who Deshaun Watson is for the Cleveland Browns
Jameis speaks on his impression of QB1.
