NFLPA interim boss - 18-game regular season 'not inevitable' - ESPN

An 18-game NFL season that once seemed inevitable is no longer a certainty.

David White, the interim executive director of the NFL Players Association, told The Associated Press he hasn't had any conversations with the league about expanding the length of the regular season, which increased to 17 games in 2021.

White said he had a productive meeting with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in New York a couple of weeks ago, calling it «a very good start to our relationship» and added they have agreed to an «open and respectful» line of communication.

«The league has the right to bring any issue they want to the table and, presumably, to propose what they're willing to give to receive what they want in negotiation but we'll see when that happens,» White said in an exclusive 45-minute interview with the AP that covered various topics. «We haven't talked about it yet, and it certainly is not inevitable and should not be presented as such.»

Expanding the season requires the two sides to renegotiate the current NFL collective bargaining agreement, which expires in March 2031.

As the NFL season gets set to kick off Thursday night in Philadelphia with the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles hosting the Dallas Cowboys, White is traveling to different cities to meet with teams and communicate directly with players.

The former SAG-AFTRA executive director replaced Lloyd Howell last month. Howell stepped down in July, citing distractions his leadership had caused.

Restoring confidence in leadership and rebuilding the union's image are top priorities for White, a veteran labor executive who has guided some of the most prominent entertainment and financial organizations in the world.

«First, understand unions have tumult from time to