According to Indianapolis Colts owner Bill Polian, the debate is over and the NFL will move to an 18 game schedule. Polian, a member of the NFL competition committee, is the first owner to speak out about the 18 game proposal.
ESPN broke the news and had a few more details.
Bill Polian says the 18-game NFL season is a done deal.
During Monday night's weekly radio show, the Indianapolis Colts team president called it a "fait accompli" and said the debate is over. Polian is a member of the league's competition committee and has worked in the league office.
The addition of two regular season games will be offset by two exhibition games being removed from the schedule. While the preseason is largely unimportant, some owners still worry about losing valuable time to establish depth and make roster moves. The owners are still exploring ways to creatively ease these fears.
The NFL and NFLPA are still in the midst of negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement with a potential lockout looming in the offseason. The two sides appear to still be far apart on many issues vital to the agreement.
Stay tuned for more on the negotiations as details surface.