49ers stars Purdy and Bosa react to potential 18-game NFL season originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area
As NFL players begin to prepare their bodies and minds for another long season, they are hearing more rumors about the league’s potential expansion to an 18-game schedule.
While the 49ers quarterback isn’t necessarily opposed to the idea, he would prefer a second week off so players can get better rest during the extended season.
“If that’s the case, I think two goodbyes would be good. It’s a long season, man,” Purdy told reporters Tuesday at 49ers OTAs. “You go through so much physically, mentally, everything. So if we’re going to extend one more game, I think another bye would be nice, but at the same time, [the season] It’s longer.
“I don’t know how everyone in the league feels about this. I know we’re going through this week after week to get back to the next game, so I don’t know. for that. I really don’t know how I feel 100% on this yet.”
Purdy’s 49ers teammate, star defensive end Nick Bosa, however, wasn’t as hesitant in his words.
And after four seconds of silence and shaking his head, the four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher made his stance on the matter much clearer.
“I don’t know how many games they can keep adding,” Bosa said Tuesday. “I don’t know why one more needs to be added, but it’s not my job.”
When asked if it’s safe to assume he’s against it, Bosa responded, “Yes,” adding that he thought the 16-game, four-four-four schedule format was a good setup, but “it’s okay” and “I I will play.”
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell last month suggested a scenario in which teams play two preseason games, 18 regular-season games (one more than the current slate of 17 games) and a Super Bowl scheduled during President’s Day weekend.
While the possibility has drawn mixed reactions from players, coaches and others around the league, a common rebuttal has been to implement the second week off.
Bosa isn’t a big fan of it either.
“Yes, but then we had to shorten the offseason program a little bit,” Bosa said. “No comments.”
