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As the NFL continues to expand its reach and capitalize on the sport’s growing popularity both domestically and globally, talk of adding an 18th regular season game has become more evident.
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 hit 18” at some point sooner rather than later.
For former MVP quarterback Cam Newton, it’s taking a step back and watching an 18th regular season game from both sides. That assessment leads you to believe that preseason games, in which each team plays three before Week 1 of the regular season, will be watered down even further.
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Cam Newton of Team J Balvin looks on against 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 depends a lot on the body,” he told Pak Gazette Digital about another regular-season game added to the schedule, while discussing his Iconic Saga Productions partnership with Offscript Worldwide. “If you really look at it, what’s happening is they’re devaluing the preseason games as we know them, and they’re trying to leave them at the end.
“Because one thing we all know, and I say this with all due respect, is that America’s new game has been, for some time now, American football. It’s just good business. The Super Bowl attracts a global audience that no sporting event can attest to, especially domestically in the United States. So, they know that the more they give, the more they can get from different audiences.”
So, as Newton sees this as simply “good business” for the NFL, he’s hinting that the league will once again remove a preseason game from a team’s schedule to add the 18th game. It’s what happened when the 17th regular-season game was added in 2021, as the preseason schedule was reduced from four games to three.
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“I think when you’re talking about Game 18, it comes down to whether teams are going to really focus on the preseason, or negate the preseason altogether, just to get right into the regular season. It’ll be interesting to see,” Newton added.
While the NFLPA has rejected the potential of an 18th game, citing player safety as a major reason for keeping the schedule as is, others like Buffalo Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins see it as inevitable.
“It’s going to happen either way,” he told Pak Gazette Digital in a recent interview.
“Then 20 years later, guess what? We’re talking about a 19, then we’ll talk about a 20… 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 will call for in 2026. But, as Dawkins noted, who really knows?
For Newton, it’s simply good business as the league’s demand continues to skyrocket as each season passes.
EXPAND THE REACH OF YOUR CONTENT WITH OFFSCRIPT
Newton may no longer be on the field, but he remains tuned into the NFL and every other sporting moment through his content creation, particularly 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 brands and platforms that shape culture under one roof, including REVOLT Sports and 3BlackDot.
Offscript unveiled this new partnership at IAB NewFronts 2026, where they will begin collaborating with Newton’s independent production powerhouse, integrating their hit shows and amplifying the reach of athlete-powered storytelling for global brands.
Cam Newton in the radio row at the Super Bowl LIX media center on February 7, 2025. (Kirby Lee/Image Images)
“When you really think about Offscript, it’s like the ecosystem that brings together so many different facets of our lives, from sports to culture to lifestyle to so many different things,” Newton explained. “That transition for me wasn’t strange. Instead of training to be the best football player or the best athlete, now I’m just training to be the best content creator I can be.
“I always want to be a beacon of the person, in a lot of ways, I figured that out as I went along. I’m so excited that Offscript gives me and Iconic Saga the opportunity to continue believing in our vision, and we can’t do these things without great partners like this.”
As this partnership begins, 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 the student-athletes, academic programs and unique game day culture that defines what it means to be an HBCU.
