In 2021, the NFL switched from a 17-week, 16-game schedule, which it had used for decades, to an 18-week schedule with each team playing a total of 17 regular season games.
Since then, there has been talk of expanding the schedule to 18 regular season games for each team, something that fans and pundits seem divided on.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow said he feels he has come up with the perfect setup for an 18-game schedule: two bye weeks for each team, as well as a league-wide bye in Week 13, during which the Pro Bowl would be held, per The Athletic.
Joe Burrow’s pitch for the “perfect” 18-game NFL schedule:
◽️ Two bye weeks
◽️ Pro Bowl during a league-wide Week 13 byeWould you support this change?
🎥 @PardonMyTake pic.com/Jl6pV44kPx
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) July 8, 2024
Critics say that an 18-game schedule would lead to more injuries, more fatigue and perhaps a higher risk of players developing brain trauma.
Burrow said the Pro Bowl should be conducted in a manner similar to how the NBA does its All-Star Weekend, with skills challenges and 7-on-7 competitions in order to improve ratings.
Relatively speaking, very few people watch the Pro Bowl, and the contest has switched to a flag football format, perhaps in response to players being concerned about getting injured.
Speaking of injuries, Burrow dealt with a calf strain starting in last season’s training camp and then suffered a wrist injury in Week 11 that shelved him for the rest of the campaign.
As a result, 2023 was a lost season for the Bengals, but they are expected to bounce back in 2024 and have at least a shot at challenging the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs for AFC supremacy.
