Andrews Challenges Goodell on Preseason Necessity in light of proposed Regular-Season Expansion

David Andrews, former NFL player and Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots, pushed back on NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s assertion that the league doesn’t need preseason games. During an interview on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Goodell discussed adding an 18th regular-season game while potentially removing a preseason contest. However, Andrews argued in an Instagram post that it was actually Goodell who didn’t require these exhibition matches because he wasn’t playing himself. The veteran player continued by explaining how younger and less established players rely on the games to improve their skills and earn opportunities. This contrasted with Goodell’s preference for replacing preseason contests with regular-season fixtures, as reported by Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi. Nonetheless, no concrete steps have been taken towards implementing an 18th game schedule without collective bargaining through the NFL Players Association.