New Orleans - Lloyd Howell Jr., executive director of the NFL Players Association.

"Frankly, we're not sure how he came to the conclusion based on the data we've obtained," Howell said at the NFLPA's annual press conference Wednesday.

Howell was asked about his current position in the 18-game season two days after a league press conference held by Goodell. Goodell said Monday there were 18 regular season games and two preseason games "may be possible" with safety figures being the history of reducing concussions in the 2024 season.

Howell said players oppose another regular season expansion after adding Game 17 in 2021.

"No one wants to play Game 18. No one." "For many people, it's been a long time since there have been 17 games. Seventeen games are also so long that you Still dealing with the damage of the next season. So there are a lot of issues that get stuck in the season before any formal negotiations.”

Howell and Goodell said this week that any discussion about the 18 games was informal. The CBA, currently approved in 2020, expires after the 2030 season. The length of this season is written into the CBA and must be voted on by the owner and the player and agree.

"Any comment outside of formal negotiations is a comment," Howell said. "It's the player's decision on what they agree to do."

Howell said several issues must be addressed before the season is opened. He cited weekly goodbye, roster size, practice team size, offseason length and number of international games, with the current cap on the CBA being 10.

"What is international production like when you talk about 18 games?" Howell said, "They really want to look at the international (aspect) of the game. So, how does this fit into 18 games? "

Howell said the timetable and number of multiple travel teams were asked to have “more to do” because multiple teams played three games in 10 days, while the Green Bay Packers were in this Fly to Brazil within 48 hours of the season and return to Brazil. Another issue he raised is the safety of the game surface.

Howell also spent some time discussing revenue sharing and player benefits, saying “the league has never had more value” because of the growth of the NFL and recent rule changes that allow private equity firms to buy small shares in their teams. Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins are two teams that sold their minority stake to private equity firms.

He said he hopes players will share the income one day.

"The new role of private equity in the alliance has led me to think about how every other industry can motivate their top talent by giving equitable talent so that employees share that when organizations become more valuable," Howell said. “We look forward to working with our members to determine how to explore compensation structures that provide the right performance incentives, while also providing them with the income insurance they deserve, including benefiting more from the value they create.”

The NFLPA also awarded its annual Alan Page Community Award to New York Giants receiver Darius Slayton. The award is voted by the players and is for players who “hare a special impact in his community.” Other finalists include New Orleans Saints guard Demario Davis, Baltimore Ravens run back Derrick Henry, Indianapolis Colts Center Ryan Kelly and Minnesota Vikings’ safety card Mlin Bynum.