The owners want the extra game so the NFLPA want them to "pay" for it by giving up something else. Even if it benefits them they want something in exchange. The extra game may still be a year or two away.
Originally Posted by: wpr
The part I've read that is a problem is do players simply get their salary dispersed throughout 18 weeks as opposed to 17 weeks? Currently, players receive a paycheck 17 times a year during the regular season. If the NFL adds a 17 regular season game and doesn't kick in more money to the players, that's a problem. The players see it as working 1 extra game a season while not getting paid or it. I'm probably not explaining this well, let's see if I can do gooder.
Let's say player gets $3,000,000 for the season.
16 games plus bye = $176,470 per week.
17 games plus bye = $166,666 per week.
Basically, the owners would get the revenue boost from the extra regular season game while the players just get their salary spread out one extra week. The players are probably not going to be cool with this. It's more wear and tear on their body and they get no monetary benefit from it.
If the NFL wants a 17th game, NFLPA is going to want more money (rightly so) and to reduce (if not eliminate) preseason. Those two home preseason games are something the NFL Owners really enjoy. It's basically straight cash for them. Reducing preseason by half and adding one game to the regular season would alter TV deals too.
Adding a 17th game just isn't as simple as I personally thought it would be. All in all, I think the 17th game is a horrible idea and saturates the product more than it already has. The NFL can't talk serious about player safety and then speak 17th game at the same time. At least, not without looking stupid.