NFL and NFLPA have not started formal talks on a new CBA extension, despite looming 2027 window

The NFL and the NFL Players Association have not yet begun formal negotiations on a potential collective bargaining agreement (CBA) extension, a development that clouds the league’s timeline for major labor changes. The report also underscores how difficult it would be to reach agreement on a shift to 18 regular-season games by 2027, a benchmark that has been discussed for years but now appears increasingly unlikely.

JC Tretter, who became executive director of the NFLPA on April 1, is now at the center of the union’s labor strategy. The CBA process is not simply a matter of choosing a date and starting talks, but a multi-step negotiation and drafting effort that typically takes time to align on economic issues, competitive balance measures, and operational details that affect clubs at the roster and salary-room level.

In the report, the absence of “formal negotiations” is presented as a timing issue rather than an immediate breakdown in talks. Still, the longer the parties remain outside that formal track, the narrower the practical window becomes for reaching agreement on any extension terms that would require league-wide implementation planning. Those preparations include rule changes tied to game structure, revenue sharing frameworks, and how teams manage player workload and roster utilization.

The NFL has reportedly wanted to correct a situation that, as one source described earlier this year, had left the league’s business objectives “constipated.” While that characterization is not a formal legal assessment, it points to the broader stakes of labor negotiations: the NFL’s ability to execute long-term league plans depends on reaching a CBA settlement that both sides can implement on schedule.

For fans, the most visible point of friction has been the 18-games-by-2027 concept. The report says that plan remains highly unlikely, suggesting the parties have not yet reached the foundational agreement stage that would typically be required to change the regular-season slate within a few years. Even when labor talks progress, implementation still has to survive internal approvals and operational realities across all 32 clubs.

The lack of formal negotiations also raises a practical question for the NFL season calendar. Work stoppage risk is not being reported here, but labor uncertainty can affect planning choices by both sides. Teams build rosters with contractual structures in mind, and the union’s bargaining posture can change depending on what it believes is achievable within the next extension cycle.

What to watch next is whether the parties begin formal bargaining sessions, name negotiation committees or working groups, and release any indicators that they are moving beyond preliminary discussions. If formal negotiations start later than expected, the 18-games timeline could tighten further, and other CBA topics could become more urgent. For now, the clearest confirmed fact remains the one at the center of this report: negotiations have not yet entered a formal phase, even with new NFLPA leadership in place.