George Kittle believes NFL players would be more accepting of an 18-game regular season if the league properly compensated them for the extra workload.
The San Francisco 49ers tight end is not just calling for an additional bye week. He is also raising concerns about money, and says the league’s approach to expanding the schedule has not made sense from a player perspective.
For Kittle, the issue is straightforward: an extra game should mean extra pay, not just the same salary split into one more payment.
George Kittle says San Francisco 49ers players need real money for extra NFL games
Speaking to Front Office Sports, Kittle explained why the pay structure around added games bothers him.
“The one thing that didn’t really make sense to me is you sign a contract to play 16 games,” Kittle said. “They added the 17th game and you don’t get paid anymore money, your paycheck just gets cut an extra time. So you’re making 17 paychecks instead of 16.”
Players notice the change right away. The season gets longer, the injury risk goes up and the league creates more TV content, but players do not see a direct financial benefit for the added game.
Kittle’s issue is not about how contracts are structured. It is about whether the NFL can keep asking for more games without offering a clear financial incentive for the extra work.
George Kittle believes NFL 18th game becomes easier if payments actually rise
Kittle then explained what could make players more interested in accepting another regular-season game.
“So in my opinion I’m just like if you bumped up the payment a little bit for that last game instead of cutting it again I think guys would be more interested in that as well,” Kittle added.
That is the key difference. Players might be more open to an 18-game season if the extra game brought extra pay, not just a redistribution of the same money.
The league’s interest is clear. Regular-season games are more valuable than preseason matchups for broadcasters, sponsors and owners.
But the NFLPA will have to balance the physical toll, especially for players in high-contact roles like Kittle’s. That is why his comments matter. He is not dismissing the idea outright, but he is making it clear that players need something concrete in return.
More rest matters. Better pay matters too. Without both, Kittle’s message is that an 18th game looks like another league win at the players’ expense.
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