Packers CEO Mark Murphy Backtracks on Initial Stance on Potential 18-Game NFL Season

As talks about expanding the NFL regular season from 16 to 18 games have heated up, Green Bay Packers CEO Mark Murphy has done a complete 180 on his initial stance on an 18-game season.

On numerous occasions over the years, Murphy has stated that expanding the season would cause more injuries to players. But now, for whatever reason, Murphy is now claiming that eliminating two preseason games in favor of two additional regular season games would be great for the NFL.

When Murphy spoke to Darren Rovell of TheActionNetwork.com, he said, "Our players don't need four (preseason) games and it seems like fewer starters are playing in them. Maybe another way to do this is to add one neutral site game and one international one for every team, so we can use this to grow the game."

This statement is a complete reversal of his previous comments on an 18-game season, as he told Peter King in 2016, "With the concerns about health and safety, we can't justify increasing the season."

Why Murphy is now advocating for an expanded season after years of shying away from the idea is beyond us. But, with more games comes more revenue, and the NFL has proven on several occasions that money speaks louder than the health of their players.

For as brutal as the NFL game can be at times, 16 games is more than enough. Expanding it to 18 just seems like a money grab for owners, and players will more than likely fight it if 18 games ever gets implemented.

With the current CBA set to expire after the 2020 season, the owners and players will have a lot to discuss to prevent another NFL lockout in 2021, and the 18 game season will certainly be one of the headliners.