Report: NFL considering adding Week 18 as possible contingency

The NFL could extend the regular season by a week to help combat the league's first major COVID-19 crisis, according to Mark Maske of The Washington Post.

An additional week is reportedly among several options being considered by the NFL after two Week 4 games were postponed.

Though the 18th week is "a contingency that's been discussed," according to one of Maske's sources, another source said talks are in the early stages and there has been "no serious discussion" of extending the regular season.

The Tennessee Titans' game against the Pittsburgh Steelers was rescheduled to Week 7, as the AFC South club has recorded 18 positive tests among players and personnel as of Sunday. Meanwhile, the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs are currently expected to play Monday or Tuesday after positive tests on both teams.

If the NFL did add Week 18, it could push back the start of the playoffs or eliminate the extra week between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl.

The NFL plans to conduct a conference call Monday with head coaches and general managers of all 32 teams to stress the importance of following the league's COVID-19 protocols.