Cam Newton views adding 18th regular-season game as 'good business,' questions how preseason games will work

As the NFL continues to grow its scope and capitalizes connected the ever-growing popularity of the athletics some domestically and globally, speech of adding an 18th regular-season crippled has go much apparent. 

The NFL Players’ Association has said players "have nary appetite for a regular-season 18th game," portion owners similar New England Patriots’ Robert Kraft believes "every squad volition spell 18" astatine immoderate constituent sooner than later. 

For erstwhile MVP backmost Cam Newton, he’s taking a measurement backmost and viewing an 18th regular-season crippled from some sides. That appraisal has him believing preseason games, which each squad plays 3 earlier Week 1 of the regular season, volition go adjacent much diluted.  

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Cam Newton of squad J Balvin looks connected against squad Druski during the Super Bowl LX Celebrity Flag shot crippled connected YouTube astatine Moscone Center South connected Feb. 7, 2026 successful San Francisco, California. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

"Man, it’s a batch connected the body," helium told Fox News Digital astir different regular-season crippled added to the schedule, portion discussing his Iconic Saga Productions concern with Offscript Worldwide. "If you truly look astatine it, what’s happening is they’re devaluing preseason games arsenic we cognize it to be, and they’re trying to enactment it connected the backmost end. 

"Because, 1 happening we each cognize — and I accidental this with each owed respect — America’s caller crippled has been, for immoderate time, American football. It’s conscionable bully business. The Super Bowl garners a planetary assemblage that nary sporting lawsuit tin attest to, particularly domestically successful the United States. So, they know, the much they give, the much they’re capable to garner from quality audiences."

So, arsenic Newton sees this simply arsenic "good business" for the NFL, he’s implying the league volition erstwhile again driblet a preseason crippled from a team’s docket to adhd the 18th game. It’s what happened erstwhile the 17th regular-season crippled was added successful 2021, arsenic the preseason docket was reduced from 4 to 3 games. 

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"I think, erstwhile you’re talking astir the 18th game, it truly comes down to if teams are going to truly absorption connected preseason, oregon negate preseason altogether, conscionable to get close into the regular season. That’s going to beryllium absorbing to benignant of see," Newton added.

While the NFLPA has pushed backmost astatine the imaginable of an 18th game, citing subordinate information arsenic 1 of the main reasons down keeping the docket arsenic is, others similar Buffalo Bills near tackle Dion Dawkins spot it arsenic inevitable. 

"It’s going to hap either way," helium told Fox News Digital successful a caller interview. 

"Then, 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. 

ESPN expert Cam Newton is connected the acceptable of "First Take" connected Feb. 6, 2026 successful San Francisco, California. (Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images)

For now, 17 games is what the NFL docket volition work successful 2026. But, arsenic Dawkins noted, who truly knows? 

To Newton’s point, it’s simply bully concern arsenic request continues to skyrocket for the league arsenic each play passes. 

EXPANDING CONTENT REACH WITH OFFSCRIPT

Newton whitethorn not beryllium connected the tract immoderate longer, but helium remains tuned successful with the NFL and each different sports infinitesimal done his contented creation, astir notably his "Funky Friday" and "4th & 1 with Cam Newton" shows arsenic portion of his Iconic Saga Productions. 

Newton and his accumulation squad announced a large concern with Offscript Worldwide, a creator-owned ecosystem that connects culture-shaping brands and platforms nether 1 roof, which includes REVOLT Sports and 3BlackDot. 

Offscript unveiled this caller concern astatine the 2026 IAB NewFronts, wherever they volition statesman collaborating with Newton’s autarkic accumulation powerhouse, integrating his deed shows and amplifying the scope of athlete-driven storytelling for planetary brands. 

Cam Newton connected vigor enactment astatine the Super Bowl LIX media halfway connected Feb. 7, 2025. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)

"When you truly deliberation astir Offscript, it’s similar the ecosystem that bridges truthful galore antithetic facets of our lives, from sports, to culture, to manner and truthful galore antithetic things," Newton explained. "That modulation for maine wasn’t foreign. Instead of grooming to beryllium the champion shot player, oregon the champion athlete. Now, I’m conscionable grooming to beryllium the champion contented creator I tin perchance be. 

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"I conscionable ever privation to beryllium a beacon of the person, successful a batch of ways, figured it retired arsenic I went. I’m conscionable truthful thrilled that Offscript gives maine and Iconic Saga the accidental to proceed to judge successful our vision, and we’re not capable to bash these things without large partners similar this."

As this concern kicks off, Newton volition besides beryllium hitting the roadworthy for the "4th & 1 College Tailgate Experience," visiting HBCU’s crossed the U.S. to observe their practice and radiance a nationalist spotlight connected student-athletes, world programs, and the unsocial game-day civilization that defines what it means to beryllium an HBCU. 

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