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As the NFL continues to expand its reach and capitalizes on the ever-growing popularity of the sport both domestically and globally, talk of adding an 18th regular-season game has become more apparent.
The NFL Players’ Association has said players “have no appetite for a regular-season 18th game,” while owners like New England Patriots’ Robert Kraft believes “every team will go 18” at some point sooner than later.
For former MVP quarterback Cam Newton, he’s taking a step back and viewing an 18th regular-season game from both sides. That assessment has him believing preseason games, which every team plays three before Week 1 of the regular season, will become even more diluted.
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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 Feb. 7, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
“Man, it’s a lot on the body,” he told Fox News 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 preseason games as we know it to be, and they’re trying to put it on the back end.
“Because, one thing we all know — and I say this with all due respect — America’s new game has been, for some time, American football. It’s just good business. The Super Bowl garners a global audience that no sporting event can attest to, especially domestically in the United States. So, they know, the more they give, the more they’re able to garner from difference audiences.”
So, as Newton sees this simply as “good business” for the NFL, he’s implying the league will once again drop 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 to three games.
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“I think, when you’re talking about the 18th game, it really comes down to if teams are going to really focus on preseason, or negate preseason altogether, just to get right into the regular season. That’s going to be interesting to kind of see,” Newton added.
While the NFLPA has pushed back at the potential of an 18th game, citing player safety as one of the main reasons behind 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 Fox News Digital in a recent interview.
“Then, 20 years later, guess what? We’re talking about a 19th, then we’ll be talking about a 20th.… Then it’s like, ‘Yeah, we are combat athletes all year long.’ But who knows,” Dawkins added.
ESPN analyst Cam Newton is on the set of “First Take” on Feb. 6, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images)
For now, 17 games is what the NFL schedule will read in 2026. But, as Dawkins noted, who really knows?
To Newton’s point, it’s simply good business as demand continues to skyrocket for the league as each season passes.
EXPANDING CONTENT REACH WITH OFFSCRIPT
Newton may not be on the field any longer, but he remains tuned in with the NFL and every other sports moment through his content creation, most notably his “Funky Friday” and “4th & 1 with Cam Newton” shows 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 culture-shaping brands and platforms under one roof, which includes REVOLT Sports and 3BlackDot.
Offscript unveiled this new partnership at the 2026 IAB NewFronts, where they will begin collaborating with Newton’s independent production powerhouse, integrating his hit shows and amplifying the reach of athlete-driven storytelling for global brands.
Cam Newton on radio row at the Super Bowl LIX media center on Feb. 7, 2025. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
“When you really think about Offscript, it’s like the ecosystem that bridges so many different facets of our lives, from sports, to culture, to lifestyle and so many different things,” Newton explained. “That transition for me wasn’t foreign. 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 possibly be.
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“I just always want to be a beacon of the person, in a lot of ways, figured it out as I went. I’m just so thrilled that Offscript gives me and Iconic Saga the opportunity to continue to believe in our vision, and we’re not able to do these things without great partners like this.”
As this partnership kicks off, Newton will also be hitting the road for the “4th & 1 College Tailgate Experience,” visiting HBCU’s across the U.S. to celebrate their heritage and shine a national spotlight on student-athletes, academic programs, and the unique game-day culture that defines what it means to be an HBCU.
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