NFL owners approve 10-game international limit as precursor to 18-game season
The NFL has voted to increase the maximum number of league-run international games from eight to ten, a move designed to pave the way for an 18-game regular season and offset rising operational costs.
NFL owners have voted to increase the maximum number of league-run international games from eight to ten per season, a strategic shift widely interpreted as a precursor to expanding the regular season from 17 to 18 games. The decision, reached during owners’ meetings in Orlando, also saw the elimination of scheduling protections that previously allowed franchises to shield two scheduled opponents from being selected for overseas matches.
Peter O’Reilly, the NFL’s executive vice president of club business, international and league events, indicated that the league is on a path to implement 10 international games by 2027. While the international series is already operating at nine games this season due to the Jacksonville Jaguars playing back-to-back contests in London during the 2026 season, the new ceiling formalises the expansion as Everbank Stadium undergoes $1.4 billion in renovations.
The expansion is driven by Commissioner Roger Goodell and team owners such as New England Patriots’ Robert Kraft, who view the move as essential for driving international revenue and offsetting rising costs. Kraft has previously articulated a strategy where every team plays one game overseas annually, aiming to grow the salary cap and maintain labour peace through increased global exposure and television rights deals.
This structural change mirrors the league’s aggressive scheduling expansion in recent years, which has included the addition of Thursday night games, expanded Thanksgiving and Christmas Day slots, and a Wednesday season-opener. The NFL’s financial projections have been recalculated to exceed a $25 billion bottom line in the coming decade, with the league aiming to create a “33rd” franchise in a foreign-based aggregate to secure expanded overseas television contracts.
However, the push for an 18-game schedule faces potential resistance from the NFL Players Association, which has previously opposed the expansion. Under the current collective bargaining agreement, any move beyond 10 international games in the future will require negotiation with the players’ union, which recently elected JC Tretter as executive director and has resisted the schedule grind that impacts player recovery times.
