NFL and NFLPA have not started formal CBA extension talks

The NFL and the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) have not begun formal negotiations on an extension to their collective bargaining agreement, which currently runs through the 2030 season. JC Tretter became NFLPA executive director on April 1, but long-time league reporter Mark Maske reported that the sides still have not entered “formal negotiations.”

The lack of progress matters because the next round of bargaining is expected to center on structural changes the league wants, including moving to an 18-game regular season and expanding the international schedule to 16 games per year.

Maske said the current situation “further reduces” the chance that the NFL expands to 18 regular-season games by 2027. The existing agreement remains in place for several more seasons, but the calendar for any format change is tied to broader league planning, including the timing of future Super Bowls.

Under current planning, the door to an 18th regular-season game is not considered closed. The league can still revisit the timeline until it locks in a specific date for Super Bowl LXII, which is scheduled to be played in Atlanta in February 2028.

What the league is seeking in the next agreement

Any move to 18 regular-season games would require bargaining with the union, with player health, roster rules, revenue sharing and schedule structure typically central to those talks. A significant expansion of international games would also have operational and competitive implications, from travel demands to how teams handle short weeks.

Because no formal talks have started, there is limited visibility on whether either side is prepared to accelerate negotiations in the near term. The status quo also leaves teams, broadcasters and host cities without clarity on when the league might implement a longer regular season.

Why the timeline could still shift later

The league has previously used looming labor deadlines as leverage, and the current agreement does not expire until after the 2030 season. That runway increases the likelihood that the most contentious issues are pushed closer to the end of the deal, when the stakes rise for both sides.

Mark Maske’s reporting framed the outcome as more a question of timing than possibility, noting the league’s continued push for an 18-game season. The next key signal will be whether the NFL and NFLPA move from informal contact into formal bargaining, especially as planning for the late-2020s calendar becomes more concrete.

Attention will now turn to whether either side sets a negotiating timetable and what, if anything, changes once the Super Bowl LXII date is finalized.