Is there such a thing as too much NFL?
This is the Paste BN Sports NFL newsletter, 4th and Monday. If this newsletter isn't already getting conveniently delivered to your inbox, click here to subscribe.
Know all of those discussions around having the Monday after the Super Bowl be a national holiday?
Well, imagine a world in which the NFL plays an 18-game regular season. That would push the league calendar back another week. You see where we're going here, right?
Super Sunday 2025 was on Feb. 9.
Presidents' Day — a federal holiday observed on a the third Monday in February — was on Feb. 17.
An 18-game NFL regular season could mean a Monday off after the Super Bowl … depending on your place of employment's holiday schedule.
And, guess what? An 18-game regular season seems inevitable.
Paste BN Sports' Mike Freeman writes: "While an 18th game could be several years away (maybe) ... the NFL wants to intensify those already-existing conversations with the union essentially now. We need to understand something. Talks or pushes or whatever you want to call them … an 18th game is going to happen. It's inevitable. Like Thanos."
The NFL added a 17th regular-season game for the 2021 season. The league had played a 16-game regular season going back to 1978 (and it had been 14 games with six preseason contests — six! — prior to that).
What do the players think of an 18-game season? Well, they are not fans.
Lloyd Howell, executive director of the NFLPA, told Paste BN Sports that "the majority of the guys I’ve talked to about it, they already feel that 17 is long enough."
For Roger Goodell and the powers that be at NFL HQ, a longer regular season means increased opportunity to further the league's international ambitions (Goodell called it a "logical step." That's Goodell-speak for "intent on making this happen."). It also means more revenue from such things as broadcast rights, ticket sales, concessions, official league apparel, etc. It also would mean an even shorter preseason. That's great. Preseason games are, well, generally not an ideal representation of the quality of high-level pro football.
You'd think that the NFL would reach a saturation point, but in 2024 — an election year that also featured the Summer Olympics — the NFL accounted for 72 of the top 100 most-watched events, per Sportico. So, math is on the NFL's side here, at least in terms of viewer interest; though, not exactly in terms of player enthusiasm for another week of getting battered on the gridiron.
So, stay tuned. The 18-game season will be a hot topic to monitor from this week's annual league meeting in Palm Beach, Florida.
2025 NFL draft: Mocks, rankings and more
➤ Latest mock draft: In this updated first-round projection, a third quarterback joins Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders among the top 32 picks.
➤ Shedeur Sanders set a record for accuracy. Will that matter in the draft? Sanders had a 71.8% completion rate for Colorado. How does that compare with other quarterbacks, both in college and the pros.
➤ Could Jaxson Dart be picked ahead of Shedeur Sanders? Few players this year have climbed faster up draft boards than the Ole Miss quarterback. Some teams also might like Dart more than Sanders. That seems crazy … or is it?
➤ Position-by-position rankings: Offense | Defense
➤ Complete 2025 NFL draft order
NFL news, notes and analysis
➤ Jets GM names Justin Fields starting QB: Darren Mougey told reporters at the league's annual meeting on Sunday that the Jets are planning on Fields as the team's starting quarterback in 2025.
➤ What's up with Aaron Rodgers? It wouldn't be an edition of the 4th and Monday newsletter without some mention of Rodgers and the offseason's most over-played storyline. Well, it seems the Steelers are interested. Rodgers, playing alongside DK Metcalf and George Pickens? That's a lot of ego for one huddle.
➤ Bruce Smith creating another great legacy away from football: A generation ago, Smith was the game's top pass rush (bad things, man, bad things!). These days, the Hall of Famer is forging a new, post-football path.
➤ Barry Sanders: Lions turnaround has been 'miraculous': Speaking of 1990s pro football icons, Sanders' electrifying runs filled highlight reels. Now, the Hall of Fame running back is galvanized by the trajectory of his former team.
NFL classics: Straight from the YouTube algorithm 🏈🎞️
This is where we reprise some NFL lore and recall classic, memorable moments from yesteryear.
It's draft season, which means it's time to dive back into NFL Films' tremendous "Caught in the Draft" series.
There a few out there to enjoy …
1994 (this one features the great "who the hell is Mel Kiper anyway?" rant.)
1985 (somehow the defending Super Bowl champion 49ers managed to get Jerry Rice.)
1974 (the Steelers had one of greatest drafts in league history.)
But, we're here to talk about a draft that happened 20 years ago. Come to watch Aaron Rodgers unexpectedly fall in the first round, stay to see drafted players on their flip phones.
This was a fun draft, featuring the always-popular topic for pro football pundits: A debate over which quarterback should be the No. 1 pick. It was Alex Smith who the San Francisco 49ers famously picked instead of the local kid, Rodgers.
After this went down, one might be tempted to joke that Rodgers was in store for a green room retreat! 😁
There were 22 players picked after Smith's selection and before the Green Bay Packers mercifully rescued Rodgers from the green room. There were some multiple-time Pro Bowlers with impressive careers: Antrel Rolle (No. 8 overall to the Arizona Cardinals), Shawne Merriman (No. 12 to the San Diego Chargers), Thomas Davis (No. 14 to the Carolina Panthers) and Derrick Johnson (No. 15 to the Kansas City Chiefs). And (so far), one Pro Football Hall of Famer: DeMarcus Ware (No. 11 to the Dallas Cowboys).
The Detroit Lions took a wide receiver in the first round for the third consecutive year when they selected USC's Mike Williams (they would redeem themselves two years later when they took another receiver in the first round — Calvin Johnson. Fourth time's the charm!). That wasn't a great selection. Neither were Troy Williamson (No. 7 to the Minnesota Vikings), Travis Johnson (No. 16 to the Houston Texans), Erasmus James (No. 18 to the Vikings … Vikings, again, geesh!) and Matt Jones (No. 21 to the Jacksonville Jaguars).
After Rodgers finally came off the board at No. 24, the Atlanta Falcons picked four-time Pro Bowl WR Roddy White. Seven-time Pro Bowler Logan Mankins — who played nine seasons with the Belichick-Brady New England Patriots yet somehow was never on a Super Bowl winner — was the final pick of the first round. Frank Gore — No. 3 on the NFL's all-time rushing yardage list — was the first pick of the third round to the 49ers. The Cowboys found a gem in four-time Pro Bowler Jay Ratliff (No. 224 overall).
If you enjoy reading 4th and Monday 📰, encourage your football fan friends to subscribe 📱. Follow the delightfully diabolical writer of this newsletter on social media @jimreineking.