Colts' Kelly against 18-game regular season: 'Too many'

Indianapolis Colts center Ryan Kelly strongly disagrees with the idea of the NFL adding an 18th regular-season game in the future.

"Eighteen games sounds great when Roger (Goodell is) saying it on Pat McAfee," Kelly said about a recent interview with the NFL commissioner on "The Pat McAfee Show," according to ESPN's Stephen Holder. "But until you're the one that's going out there and putting the helmet on for 18 of those games, then come talk to me."

Kelly, the Colts' NFLPA representative, is a vice president on the union's executive committee.

In April, Goodell said that the league is "good" with 17 games but that he would like to see a schedule featuring 18 regular-season games and two preseason contests at some point. The NFL set its current format in 2021 with three preseason games and 17 regular-season appearances for each team, up from 16 as part of the previous slate.

"I (wish) people understood how hard it was to play 16, then they (added) another one?" Kelly said. "And they get rid of preseason games, well, OK, who's that going to hurt? The guys that don't have a shot, the guys that are the undrafted guys or late-round (picks) that need to go out there and improve themselves. I think that the fans see it like they don't watch the preseason games, but they have no idea what goes on inside the building."

"I just think it's too many games," the 31-year-old added.

The current collective bargaining agreement between players and owners - which runs through the 2030 season - can be amended or renegotiated, notes Holder. Adding a 17th game to the schedule was a hot topic around the NFL during the league's most recent CBA negotiations. The deal ultimately passed with 51.5% of players voting in favor.

A first-round pick in 2016, Kelly has started 111 games for the Colts since entering the NFL. However, the four-time Pro Bowler has played only three full seasons in the league and missed three games due to injury in 2023.