Steelers’ Minkah Fitzpatrick Frustrated With Roger Goodell About Extending The Season: “17 Is More Than Enough”

The Pittsburgh Steelers are gearing up for an exciting 2024 season. This offseason, Pittsburgh made significant moves to enhance their roster. The special teams unit now features several playmakers, and the defense has improved with the addition of Patrick Queen and other key players. The quarterback position has also been bolstered with the acquisitions of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.

Beyond player additions, Pittsburgh has strengthened their coaching staff and brought in new personnel, generating a lot of excitement about the team's prospects for the 2024 season. However, Steelers fans were not pleased with the release of the 2024 official schedule, which is one of the most challenging in the league. Compounding the difficulty is the fact that Pittsburgh won't begin AFC North play until Week 11 of the season.

While the Steelers' tough schedule is a specific concern for Pittsburgh, there is broader discontent among players across the league regarding the NFL's push for an 18-game season. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has been advocating for this extension and mentioned on The Pat McAfee Show, ahead of the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, that he supports eliminating one of the three preseason games to accommodate an 18-game regular season.

"I'd rather replace a preseason game with a regular season game any day," Goodell said. "That's just picking quality. If we got to 18 and two, that's not an unreasonable thing."

While many fans might enjoy an additional regular season game, the real concern lies with the players who would have to endure a longer season. The NFL season is grueling, and by the end, teams hope to remain as healthy as possible. However, no team finishes the season at full strength, as injuries are inevitable, and star players are bound to miss time. 

This is simply the nature of football—a hard-hitting, contact sport where staying healthy is already a challenge. Adding another game only exacerbates this issue. Steelers star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick recently shared his thoughts on the possibility of the league extending the season.

"Why do we keep adding games," Fitzpatrick asked. "I think 17 is more than enough, plus a playoff... The dudes that play a hundred percent of the snaps in the regular season are probably barely playing in the [removed] preseason game, so it doesn't really do too much."

Fitzpatrick has recently dealt with injuries himself, and asking veteran players to play an additional game is bound to upset them. While football is an exciting game, it is also a job. NFL players are well compensated, but not everyone earns the same amount. Ultimately, asking employees—who in this case are the NFL players—to do additional work is going to ruffle feathers.

The NFL has been advocating for an 18-game season for some time. The league added an extra game ahead of the 2021 season, expanding from a 16-game to a 17-game season by eliminating one preseason game. Goodell has admitted that he is in favor of dropping another preseason game if it means extending the regular season to 18 games.

Dropping another preseason game would not significantly benefit veteran or star players, as they often do not participate in those games anyway. There is no clear timetable for if or when the NFL will move to an 18-game season. However, the consensus among players and league insiders is that the fear of a longer season is real. The wear and tear on NFL athletes is substantial, and adding just one more game presents a significant risk.

The NFL is fundamentally a business with a keen focus on generating revenue. The proposal to add another game to the regular season would undoubtedly lead to a significant boost in league-wide income. However, this potential financial gain comes with several notable drawbacks. Fitzpatrick, a key player, has voiced his disapproval of extending the season. 

Steelers' DeShon Elliott Is Not In Favor Of A Longer NFL Season

His new teammate, DeShon Elliott, has also expressed opposition to the idea, highlighting the growing concerns among players regarding the potential impact on their health, well-being, and overall performance. The addition of another game could increase the risk of injuries and player fatigue, potentially affecting the quality of play and the longevity of athletes' careers.

#SteelerNation