NFL Players Association executive director Lloyd Howell visited the Chicago Bears on Thursday at Halas Hall as part of his 32-team tour.
Howell met with reporters and addressed several hot topics around the NFL that could affect the Bears. Here are four things we learned.
1. Howell said the players’ initial reaction to an 18-game season is “no” — but there’s more to it.
The possibility of an 18-game season has become a popular discussion point in the league, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell advocated for it an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” during draft weekend.
Goodell said he doesn’t think the league needs as many preseason games, which were cut to three when a 17-game season was implemented in 2021.
“The reality is I’d rather replace a preseason game with a regular-season game any day,” Goodell said. “That’s just picking quality, right? So if we got 18 and two, that’s not an unreasonable thing.”
Goodell pitched the idea to the live crowd by then saying that the playoffs following an 18-game season could end on Presidents Day weekend, giving some people the Monday after the Super Bowl off.
Howell connected the timing of Goodell’s pitch on McAfee’s show to looking years ahead to renewing TV rights deals. He said the initial reaction on the player side is no. The current collective bargaining agreement, with the 17-game season in it, runs through 2030.
But Howell then acknowledged the give-and-take nature of potential negotiations ahead.
“If you pick it up from a player’s perspective, at a minimum, there are four categories — work rules, health and safety, benefits and economics,” Howell said. “So before we ever engage in a formal negotiation about the length of the season, there are a whole variety of topics that are really top of mind with the players.”
2. The potential changes to OTAs and training camp are about injury prevention, Howell said.
Among the bargaining points that could fall under the discussion about an 18-game season is whether the NFL would change the structure of the offseason program.
Teams currently meet for voluntary organized team activities in May, hold veteran minicamps in June, break for a little more than a month and then begin training camp in mid- to late July.
Howell said the NFLPA’s data shows that the current schedule contributes to soft-tissue and lower-extremity injuries.
“The science says that if you have a longer period of recovery, followed by a steady buildup into the season, you will reduce the injury rate,” Howell said. “Our scientists say that, and the league scientists say that. So then you get into the details of, well, what are those periods of time like? How long should the offseason be? How long should the ramp-up be?”
The details would still need to be hammered out, though Howell suggested a longer offseason with voluntary work in May for teams with new coaches or for quarterbacks. That could be followed by a ramp-up in July that could take into account a set structure for off days or potential weekends off.
3. As the Bears prepare to go to London next week, Howell said the Western European stadiums have “made progress” accommodating NFL teams.
The NFL is holding five international games this year: three in London, one in Munich and one, already played, in Sao Paulo. It plans to hold one in Madrid next season. The NFLPA, of course, keeps an eye on how such travel to foreign stadiums affects player health.
Buffalo Bills players complained last year about the playing surface at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where the Bears will play the Jacksonville Jaguars on Oct. 13.
“If we’re talking about a Western European location, they’ve had more cycles to get it better, not perfect,” Howell said. “So we’re still dealing with issues around field surface. The fields are built for soccer. The facilities are built for soccer. Our guys are physically a lot different and play a different sport.
“So the Western European locations, namely the UK and Germany, have made progress.”
Howell said the Brazil game was great from a fan’s perspective but said the field was “not ideal” and there were some frustrations with the team commutes to the stadium.
4. After his travels to see other teams over his year-plus on the job, Howell says the Bears facility is “great.”
The Bears ranked 10th in the NFLPA’s annual team report cards that were based on player surveys and released at the NFL combine in February.
Howell’s comments were not a surprise considering Bears players gave their highest marks to the locker room (A-minus), weight room (A) and training room (B-plus) at Halas Hall, which had an addition and renovation unveiled before the 2019 season.
“If you’re a Bear player, it’s pretty good,” Howell said. “And I think we’re in a competitive environment, and don’t for a second think that other teams don’t see that and want to also improve. So some of this is peer pressure, and teams are now making the necessary investments.”
The Bears ranked lowest in family treatment (C-plus), food/cafeteria (C) and nutritionist/dietician (C-plus).
Howell said he believes the report cards are having the desired effect, pushing teams to invest money in areas in which they are lacking.
