Roger Goodell talks 18-game schedule, DOJ investigation in pre-draft interview

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The NFL and the NFL Referees Union have been negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement ahead of the current one’s expiration on May 31. In March, those discussions stalled as the two sides struggled to agree on sticking points, including the NFL’s desire to value performance over seniority in postseason assignments, increasing training for poor-performing officials and pay. “I think we all want to reach an agreement; it’s important for us to reach an agreement, but we all want to improve officiating, and that’s what our focus is,” Goodell said. “The conversations have been productive recently, and we’re pleased with that, and we hope that continues.” Despite talks trending in a positive direction, the league began onboarding potential replacement officials earlier this month. When asked how serious the league is about using replacement officials in the regular season, Goodell said the league has “to be prepared.” “We’re going to play this season,” Goodell said. “We want to have our officials on the field. We want to have them well-trained. We want to make sure that we put the best officials on the field, so we want to have the ability to do that. As I said, there’s been productive dialogue, so I hope it continues.” Earlier this month, the Justice Department opened an investigation into whether the NFL has engaged in anticompetitive tactics through its media rights deal and is overcharging customers. The inquiry was initially presented by Sen. Mike Lee of Utah — a Republican and Chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights — who submitted a letter to the DOJ and the Federal Trade Commission in early March requesting a review of antitrust exemptions the NFL is afforded. In his letter, Lee asked agencies to examine the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 and argued that the NFL’s modern distribution model “differs substantially from the conditions that precipitated this exemption.” When the probe was announced, the NFL defended its media deal in a statement, and Goodell reiterated many of those points in his interview. “It’s the most accessible game out there, and most accessible in any league,” Goodell said. “Over 87 percent of our games go on free television, every single one of our games, the two participating teams, it’s in their home market. “We go to platforms that are new. We went to ESPN back in the 80s. That has been a great move for our fans and has developed new ways to engage with the NFL, but we’ve been surviving and thriving on the basis of being available to the broadest audience.” NFL owners have been vocal in their desire to expand the regular season from 17 to 18 games in the future. That can’t happen without negotiations with the NFL Players Association, and Goodell said the prospect of an 18-game season is “clearly going to be a part of discussion” between owners and players. “We call it season structure because that’s what it is,” Goodell said. “It’s the offseason; how do we manage the offseason? What changes should we make through training camp, through the season, through the postseason? All of that is important to evaluate on a regular basis.” When the NFL added the 17th regular-season game in 2022, it also shortened the preseason from four games to three. Goodell pointed toward another evaluation of the preseason during the discussion of an 18-game season. “I’ve been very open about the quality of our preseason,” he said. “The players don’t play in it, and I think from a fan standpoint, they would say the preseason is not their favorite part. We should address that.” Goodell also addressed the league’s international expansion, which includes a record nine games in 2026 that won’t be held on U.S. soil. The international slate will begin with a Week 1 game in Melbourne, Australia, between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers on Friday, Sept. 11. Goodell said the emphasis on international expansion is because the NFL wants to be a global sport, and “we want to popular around the globe and we think that every step that we’ve taken has been met with success, and by success I mean first from the fans.” Goodell also mentioned flag football as being “a huge opportunity.” The NFL has invested heavily in flag football and has taken steps toward launching two professional flag football leagues — one for men and one for women — in the run-up to the sport’s Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. Owners view the sport as a tool to continue expanding pro football’s popularity worldwide, a sentiment Goodell pointed to on Thursday. “We want people to have a chance to play our game on a global basis, so we’re very excited (and) optimistic,” he said. “Where it ends up, I don’t know, but I will tell you it’s going to continue to grow.” Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms