The matter regarding an 18-game season would enter a collective bargaining with the players, and Mahomes is not too keen on the idea.
In an interview with CNBC, Mahomes vehemently expressed his concerns about player safety, pointing out that more games run the risk of more injuries, especially in the latter half of the season when players start to feel the brutality of the sport they endure week-to-week.
However, Mahomes also pointed out that if the schedule were to be stretched to 18 games from its current 17, they would have to introduce a second bye week (when a team has no game for that given week as a break).
"I think that you'd have to find a way to have more bye weeks, more time spread out," said Mahomes. "I mean, you've seen the amount of injuries that have kind of piled up there at the end of seasons and you want to have the best players playing in the biggest games. So, if there were a way to get to 18 games, I'm not a big fan of it. But if there were a way, I think you'd have to add some bye weeks in there to give more time for guys' bodies."
The NFL, which originally had a 16-game schedule for almost 45 years between 1978-2020, introduced a 17-game schedule for the 2021 season.
However, since 2021, injuries across the NFL have been significantly rising since the decision. While only a handful more injuries in 2021 (984) compared to its previous year of 16 games, which saw 940 injuries, the number drastically increased to over 4,000 injuries during the 2023 season.
While concussion rates were down 17% this past year in the NFL, thanks to advancements in helmet technology, it's clear that other injuries are taken place and at a much more noticeable rate since the 17-game schedule was introduced.
In 2023, each team averaged at least 50 injuries and two injuries per player. The numbers back up the argument that an 18-game schedule is too much for the players, and NFLPA Executive Director Lloyd Howell believes it'll never come to fruition, stating "no one" wants it.