Bills star Dion Dawkins explains his 'counter' to potential NFL 18th game: 'Careers are only getting shorter'

NFL players cognize they request to springiness their 100% each time they measurement connected the gridiron, knowing it’s a substance of keeping their job, oregon seeing it taken by the adjacent antheral up. 

As a result, the mean NFL vocation is astir conscionable 3 seasons, some from the elite endowment excavation and the wounded hazard that comes with a high-octane interaction sport. 

The NFL, though, couldn’t beryllium doing amended from a concern perspective, arsenic shot fans crave much enactment connected immoderate fixed nighttime passim the season. The 2026 play volition beryllium kicking disconnected connected a Wednesday nighttime this twelvemonth successful ample portion owed to the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers playing successful Melbourne, Australia astatine 10:35 a.m. section clip connected Friday morning, which volition beryllium Thursday nighttime astatine 8:35 p.m. ET backmost successful the States. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Dion Dawkins of the Buffalo Bills runs onto the tract anterior to an NFL shot crippled against the Kansas City Chiefs astatine Highmark Stadium connected Nov. 2, 2025 successful Orchard Park, New York. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

No substance wherever oregon when, the games volition beryllium watched, which is wherefore the 18th regular-season crippled speech remains pertinent arsenic the league continues to grow its reach.

Buffalo Bills near tackle Dion Dawkins knows however grueling a 17-game play tin beryllium already arsenic idiosyncratic who’s successful the trenches erstwhile the shot is snapped. 

"I deliberation the satellite that we unrecorded successful is conscionable a antithetic benignant of world, right? Production, entertainment, sports. We're a portion of that satellite wherever radical privation to spot shot much — they privation to spot it. So, the 18th crippled is simply a beauteous concern prime arsenic the league," helium told Fox News Digital successful a caller interview, wherever helium besides touched connected his concern with Oral-B and Crest to interaction families successful request of dental cleaning. 

SUPER BOWL CHAMPION SEAHAWKS TO OPEN 2026 NFL SEASON ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT

But, portion helium understands the concern facet of wherefore the NFL would privation to present an 18th crippled to the regular-season schedule, helium thinks a player’s position needs to beryllium listened to arsenic well.

"The lone antagonistic that I spot to it is guys' careers are lone getting shorter," Dawkins explained. "Not to accidental that 1 crippled is going to marque it drastically shorter, but 1 crippled tin alteration somebody's full trajectory of life. Like, if you marque it done a 17-game play healthy, and you get to 18 and your assemblage is acceptable to interruption down, thing happens. Then, the people of your beingness is wholly different."

Of course, Dawkins understands amended than others being a portion of palmy Bills teams successful caller seasons means playoff football, which comes close aft Week 18 successful the Wild Card Round. However, teams volition remainder cardinal starters similar Dawkins if they person their playoff effect clinched, though not each are truthful fortunate during the year. 

Dion Dawkins of the Buffalo Bills looks connected anterior to Super Bowl LX  between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks astatine Levi's Stadium connected Feb. 8, 2026 successful Santa Clara, California. (Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)

No substance the case, Dawkins believes "it’s going to hap either way." He conscionable wants to marque definite players similar himself are taken attraction of decently if that is the case, particularly from a fiscal lense.

"Our contracts aren't afloat guaranteed. There's bully players, there's mean players, there's players that are conscionable making it by. As agelong arsenic guys are taken attraction of the mode they're expected to, this is our life. We're athletes, and not that I’m present for it, it's going to hap either mode -- [an] 18th game. And past 20 years later, conjecture what? We're talking astir a 19th, past we'll beryllium talking astir a 20th. …Then it's like, 'Yeah, we are combat athletes each twelvemonth long.' But who knows."

Dawkins added that possibly NFL teams volition utilize workload games similar NBA players do, but it’s apt not the lawsuit considering hoops players person 82 games during the regular season. They tin spare a nonaccomplishment oregon 2 if that’s what transpires connected the court. 

The NFL is different, arsenic each crippled becomes much important than the next, adjacent if the league thinks of adding different to the regular season.

David White, who served arsenic the NFL Players’ Association's interim enforcement manager earlier the predetermination of JC Tretter, said during Super Bowl LX week that players "have nary appetite for a regular-season 18th game" contempt the league’s propulsion connected it. 

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell noted past that an 18th crippled was "not a given," but owners, similar New England Patriots Robert Kraft, accidental "every squad volition spell 18."

"Every squad volition spell 18 [regular-season games] and 2 [preseason games] and destruct 1 of the preseason games, and each squad each twelvemonth volition play 1 crippled overseas," helium said connected 98.5 The Sports Hub successful January. 

Dion Dawkins of the Buffalo Bills participates during the 2026 Pro Bowl Skills Challenge astatine the NFL Pro Bowl Games astatine Moscone Center South connected Feb. 2, 2026 successful San Francisco, California. (Kara Durrette/Getty Images)

CLOSING AMERICA’S SMILE GAP

While remainder and relaxation is cardinal for NFL players during the offseason, Dawkins is besides making definite he’s impacting the community. 

He teamed up with Crest and Oral-B connected their "Closing America’s Smile Gap" initiative, which aims to donate a escaped dental cleaning to families successful request done "America’s ToothFairy."

As idiosyncratic who is ever uncovering ways to interaction underserved younker done his Dion’s Dreamers foundation, Dawkins discussed however improving oral wellness entree for kids and families matters, particularly considering 50% of low-income parents volition skip oregon hold their ain dental attraction to get their kids attraction they need.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"It’s a no-brainer, a layup," helium said of the concern with Crest and Oral-B. "For radical that are doing the close things to help, it each aligns.

"When it comes down to it, 1 of the archetypal things radical spot is the mouth, the teeth, the ocular of your smile. …Sometimes, immoderate radical are successful the 1 bracket of, ‘All right, I conscionable request to brushwood my teeth, past I’m good.’ Sometimes, you request to spell to the dentist, get a cleaning, and the dentist needs to beryllium prepped and they request to prep you for the people of beingness to beryllium capable to person a smile. For Crest and Oral-B, this is what the satellite is: teeth."

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports sum connected X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.