The NFL has dropped its quest for an 18-game season and is instead focused on expanding the regular season to 17 games, sources tel Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic.
The NFL would shorten the preseason from four games as part of the change.
“Not enough owners support (for) 18 and players would not go for it either,” one of the sources said.
There are currently 18 months remaining on the NFL\'s existing 10-year collective bargaining agreement.
“I don’t see an 18-game schedule — under any circumstances — being in the best interest of our players,” NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith told ESPN.com in July. “If somebody wants to make an 18-game proposal, we’ll look at it. I haven’t seen anything that makes me think that it would be good for the players.”
It is not yet known what the NFLPA\'s position will be on 17 games.