NFL moving to 18-game schedule? When can we expect league to expand, including changes to international slate?

The 18-game slate won't occur until 2027 at the earliest

The NFL has already expanded the schedule once over the last five years and may be on the verge of doing it again over the next five. Even though the current collective bargaining agreement expires in 2030, the league is working on expanding the schedule from 17 to 18 games. 

CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones explained the process of going from 17 to 18 games, and when the league can actually expand the schedule. An 18-game schedule won't be coming in 2025 or 2026. 

"We are very far away from 18 games. The NFL owners want 18 games, but there are a lot of things they have to work out. They have to work it out with the players association, the union. This has to be collectively bargained."

Even though an 18-game schedule isn't happening immediately, the owners are in the process of making it happen. While there is labor peace between the owners and players, a new CBA could be worked out prior to 2030 to incorporate an 18-game schedule as soon as 2027. With an 18-game schedule in place, teams would receive two bye weeks during the season but every team would have to play an international game. 

There would be 16 international games on the schedule (the NFL already can schedule up to eight in the 2025 season). The Super Bowl would be moved to Presidents' Day weekend with the extra bye week in place, as the season would be a week longer. In turn, the preseason would drop from three games to two -- keeping the 20-game formula. 

The league expanded from 14 to 16 games in 1978, and from 16 games to 17 in 2021. If the league expands to an even number of 18 games by 2027, that would be twice the NFL has expanded the schedule in seven years. 

An expanded schedule appears to be coming and it may be sooner than later.