Latest Details on NFL Owners Reportedly Pushing for Expanded Season

With the NFL's collective bargaining agreement set to expire in 2021, the league and the NFLPA are seeking a new labor deal agreement and are using these transactions to discuss expanding the regular season to 18 games.

That report dropped in early July. Well, flash forward to late August and new, miniscule details have emerged on the absurd proposal.

ESPN's Dan Graziano has reported that there has been "little substantive progress" in talks thus far. Players are reportedly seeking a greater allotment of the profit the league rakes in, whereas the owners are continuing to push for an elongated campaign.

Graziano is wise to bring up the Andrew Luck retirement controversy: the Pro-Bowl quarterback shockingly opted to call it quits at just 29 years old from the wear and tear his body endured during a 16-game season, as well as the mental anguish the constant rehab cycle caused him.

Why would the players be in favor of such a project if one of the game's best players literally just walked away because his body couldn't withstand the impact of any more pain?

The report indicates that both parties have discussed expanding the regular season to 18 games, prolonging it to 17 games, or simply including an extra round of playoff football. All of those potential permutations would feature a reduction in the number of preseason games, an idea that both sides obviously fancy.

Augmenting the playoffs by another week is a concept that the players would genuinely consider, but they (unsurprisingly) aren't nearly as interested in a supersized regular season.

As Graziano notes, talks are still in their infancy stages even after months of consultations. We wouldn't read too much into this ordeal until significant progress is made.