"President's Day weekend Super Bowl": Mike Florio explains why NFL won't embrace Patrick Mahomes' suggestion for an 18-game season

Patrick Mahomes may be pushing for an extra bye week in an 18-game season, but Mike Florio says the league has a different priority—President’s Day weekend. During an appearance on NFL on NBC, Florio said:

“It’s inevitable there’s going to be 18 games.”

But what’s stopping Mahomes’ suggestion from gaining traction? Florio claims the league is focused on making the Super Bowl land on President’s Day weekend, a strategy to potentially boost viewership.

Mahomes and Joe Burrow have both voiced the need for a second bye to protect players. But Florio thinks the league won’t budge.

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“More often than not, an 18-game season with one bye week based on a season beginning the weekend after Labor Day, it takes you to President's Day weekend. Far more often than not, that's what they want to do. If you had a second bye then you got a problem. You're going to overshoot President's Day weekend or you've got to start on Labor Day weekend,” Florio said (01:15).

The NFL's reluctance to play on Labor Day stems from assumptions about fans being busy. But with streaming, fantasy football and Sunday Ticket everywhere, that might be due for reconsideration.

Also read: Chiefs’ Trey Smith admits losing “sleep” thinking about Patrick Mahomes

Patrick Mahomes voices concern of Roger Goodell's 18-game NFL season plan

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes isn’t thrilled about the NFL’s looming 18-game regular season unless players get more rest. In a CNBC interview, Mahomes made his concern felt over NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s push for an 18-game slate, calling it a bad idea unless the league adds an extra bye week.

“I’m not a big fan of it,” Mahomes said [07:52].“But if there were a way… You've got to add some bye weeks in there to give more time for guys’ bodies to heal.”

Mahomes backed his claim, pointing to the spike in injuries toward the end of the season.

“You want to have the best players playing in the biggest games,” he stated.

The NFL’s switch to 17 games in 2021 already pushed players to the limit. Now, with Goodell calling 18 games a “logical” next step, stars like Mahomes are wondering: at what cost?

Also read: Patrick Mahomes' wife Brittany shows off special swimsuit for 4th of July outing on private yacht

Edited by Chaitanya Prakash