One NFL Voice Links Damar Hamlin’s Collapse to Stalled 18-Game Season Push

The NFL is in full flow, with 5 weeks of games completed. The league is always looking to improve itself, such as the increased use of international games for regular season games to boost the game's popularity.

The league is also trying to expand the regular season games from 17 currently to 18 games a season. However, it has faced obstacles in implementation. One analyst has claimed there is a reason for that.

Damar Hamlin's cardiac arrest could cool NFL's 18-game push

Longtime ESPN commentator Chris Berman stated on October 13, 2026, at Front Office Sports' Tuned In summit that Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin's on-field cardiac arrest back in January 2023 slowed a potential NFL push for an 18-game regular season. Hamlin collapsed after tackling Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins during a Monday Night Football game on January 2, 2023. The incident prompted widespread discussion of player safety and led to the postponement and eventual cancellation of the game.

He said, "The push that might have happened while these current deals were in place—once Damar Hamlin happened, not the time to put it forward. That's my belief. I'm sure I'm not too far off."

The current NFL-NFLPA collective bargaining agreement, ratified in 2020 and extending through the 2030 season (expiring in March 2031), permitted the expansion from 16 to 17 regular-season games in 2021 but does not allow a further increase to 18. An 18-game schedule has been discussed by owners as far back as the 2011 CBA negotiations.

Berman noted the topic is resurfacing as the CBA and media rights deals approach their final years, the NFL can opt out of its television contracts as early as 2030. He observed that the league had remained quiet on the matter for several years due to the need for player approval and the poor optics following the Hamlin episode.

He added, "When the NFL floats stuff, it's not a done deal by any means, but it's a bigger magnitude than what I'm going to say. The NFL is smarter than everybody else. You didn't hear anything about it for a couple years because you'd have to get the players and everyone [to approve], and then maybe with three years left in this TV deal, 'Yeah, we're having 18 games.'" According to Front Office Sports, both the NFL and ESPN declined comment on Berman's remarks.

It remains to be seen whether the NFL will advocate for an 18-game season.