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As the NFL continues to expand its reach and capitalize on the sport’s ever-increasing popularity, both domestically and globally, discussions of adding an 18th regular season game have become more salient.
The NFL Players Association has said players “have no appetite for an 18th regular-season game,” while owners like Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots believe “every team will reach the 18th” at some point, sooner rather than later.
For former MVP quarterback Cam Newton, he’s stepping back and witnessing an 18th regular season game for both sides. This assessment makes him believe that the preseason games, which each team plays three before the first week of the regular season, will become even more diluted.
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Cam Newton of Team J Balvin watches Team Druski during the Super Bowl LX Celebrity Flag football game on YouTube at Moscone Center South on February 7, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
“Man, it takes a lot on the body,” he told PK Press Club Digital of another regular season game added to the schedule, while discussing his partnership with Iconic Saga Productions with Offscript Worldwide. “If you really look at it, what’s happening is they’re devaluing pre-season games as we know them, and they’re trying to put them on the back burner.
“Because, one thing we all know – and I say this with all due respect – the new American sport has been American football for some time.
So, as Newton views this as simply a “good deal” for the NFL, he hints that the league will once again remove a preseason game from a team’s schedule to add the 18th game. That’s what happened when the 17th regular season game was added in 2021, while the preseason schedule was reduced from four to three games.
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“I think when you talk about the 18th game, it’s really about whether teams are going to really focus on the preseason, or cancel the preseason completely, just to go straight into the regular season. That’s going to be interesting to see,” Newton added.
While the NFLPA has pushed back on the potential for an 18th game, citing player safety as one of the main reasons for keeping the schedule as is, others, like Buffalo Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins, view it as inevitable.
“It’s going to happen one way or another,” he told PK Press Club Digital in a recent interview.
“Then, 20 years later, guess what? We’re talking about a 19th, then we’ll talk about a 20th. … Then it’s like, ‘Yeah, we’re combat athletes all year round.’ But who knows,” Dawkins added.
ESPN analyst Cam Newton is on the set of “First Take” on February 6, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images)
For now, 17 games is what the NFL schedule calls for in 2026. But, as Dawkins noted, who really knows?
For Newton, this is simply a good deal as demand continues to skyrocket for the league as each season passes.
EXPAND THE REACH OF CONTENT WITH OFFSCRIPT
Newton may no longer be on the field, but he stays tuned into the NFL and all other sports moments through his content creation, including his shows “Funky Friday” and “4th & 1 with Cam Newton” as part of his Iconic Saga Productions.
Newton and his production team announced a major partnership with Offscript Worldwide, a creator-owned ecosystem that connects culture-shaping brands and platforms under one roof, which includes REVOLT Sports and 3BlackDot.
Offscript unveiled this new partnership at IAB NewFronts 2026, where they will begin collaborating with independent production powerhouse Newton, integrating its hit shows and amplifying the reach of athlete-driven storytelling for global brands.
Cam Newton on the radio at the Super Bowl LIX media center on February 7, 2025. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
“When you really think about Offscript, it’s like an ecosystem that connects so many different facets of our lives, from sports to culture to lifestyle and so many different things,” Newton explained. “This transition was not foreign to me. Instead of training to become the best football player or the best athlete. Now I am simply training to become the best content creator I can be.
“I always want to be a beacon of light for the person, in many ways, and I’ve figured that out as I go along. I’m so excited that Offscript is giving me and Iconic Saga the opportunity to continue to believe in our vision, and we can’t do these things without great partners like this.”
As this partnership gets underway, Newton will also hit the road for the “4th & 1 College Tailgate Experience,” visiting HBCUs across the United States to celebrate their heritage and shine a national spotlight on student-athletes, academic programs and the unique game day culture that defines what it means to be an HBCU.
