- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,150,101
- Reaction score
- 59
Philadelphia Eagles legend and future Hall of Famer Jason Kelce is worried about one aspect of the NFL’s future.
That concern is centered around the league having more and more games played on days of the week other than the traditional ones.
Kelce’s concern comes ahead of a campaign in which the NFL will have at least one game played on every day of the week but Tuesday over the course of the season.
“Sunday is the day of football,” Kelce said on the New Heights podcast. “Sunday is where so many games happen and that’s what you grow up and you gear your entire week around watching football on Sunday. It’s an institution at this point, the NFL playing games on Sunday.”
“With every day that we keep adding in there, we’re getting away from that just a little bit,” he added. “I worry that we’re getting away from that just a little bit by building too many of this.”
In 2026, the NFL will have its usual games on Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays during the season, but the league also has contests on Wednesdays and one Fridays.
The Seahawks, for example, will play at least one game on each day of the week but Tuesday during the 2026 season.
There are a total of two Wednesday games this coming season, with one taking place in Week 1 between the Seahawks and New England Patriots, and another in Week 12 on the day before Thanksgiving when the Los Angeles Rams and Green Bay Packers meet.
There is just one Friday game on the schedule and that will pit the Denver Broncos against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 12 on Black Friday.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills during the second half in the AFC Championship game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images
The league has stated the addition of more midweek games has to do with fan interest.
“Giving more football to NFL fans is only a good thing,” NFL executive vice president of media distribution Hans Schroeder told ESPN.
However, maximizing viewership certainly plays a role in the decision, also.
“Every one of our [broadcast] partners was up,” Schroeder said of 2025. “So I think as we look at balancing the collective distribution of our games, we think there’s opportunities to build on that in a selective way. And we’ve seen when we do that, our fans tune in and watch it.”
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell looks on field at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Kelce is spot-on when he says Sundays are for the NFL and that’s a tradition that can’t go away, but we disagree that the league is even approaching losing that distinction.
After all, we’re talking about a few to a handful of games being played on days other than Sunday each week.
“I think you look across the games and the landscape and the schedule, and certainly it’s evolved a little bit, but the bulk of the games are still on Sunday,” Schroeder said.
Until the NFL starts moving the majority of its weekly games to days other than Sunday, the league is going to maintain a tight grip on that day.
We don’t see that ever happening, if for no other reason than it would create a mess in terms of players getting sufficient rest throughout the season.
But we would also say the NFL knows full well how important it is to dominate Sundays and the league isn’t going to give that up.
Continue reading...
That concern is centered around the league having more and more games played on days of the week other than the traditional ones.
Kelce’s concern comes ahead of a campaign in which the NFL will have at least one game played on every day of the week but Tuesday over the course of the season.
“Sunday is the day of football,” Kelce said on the New Heights podcast. “Sunday is where so many games happen and that’s what you grow up and you gear your entire week around watching football on Sunday. It’s an institution at this point, the NFL playing games on Sunday.”
“With every day that we keep adding in there, we’re getting away from that just a little bit,” he added. “I worry that we’re getting away from that just a little bit by building too many of this.”
In 2026, the NFL will have its usual games on Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays during the season, but the league also has contests on Wednesdays and one Fridays.
The Seahawks, for example, will play at least one game on each day of the week but Tuesday during the 2026 season.
There are a total of two Wednesday games this coming season, with one taking place in Week 1 between the Seahawks and New England Patriots, and another in Week 12 on the day before Thanksgiving when the Los Angeles Rams and Green Bay Packers meet.
There is just one Friday game on the schedule and that will pit the Denver Broncos against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 12 on Black Friday.
Why the NFL has more midweek games
You must be registered for see images attach
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills during the second half in the AFC Championship game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images
The league has stated the addition of more midweek games has to do with fan interest.
“Giving more football to NFL fans is only a good thing,” NFL executive vice president of media distribution Hans Schroeder told ESPN.
However, maximizing viewership certainly plays a role in the decision, also.
“Every one of our [broadcast] partners was up,” Schroeder said of 2025. “So I think as we look at balancing the collective distribution of our games, we think there’s opportunities to build on that in a selective way. And we’ve seen when we do that, our fans tune in and watch it.”
Is the NFL in danger of losing Sunday dominance?
You must be registered for see images attach
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell looks on field at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Kelce is spot-on when he says Sundays are for the NFL and that’s a tradition that can’t go away, but we disagree that the league is even approaching losing that distinction.
After all, we’re talking about a few to a handful of games being played on days other than Sunday each week.
“I think you look across the games and the landscape and the schedule, and certainly it’s evolved a little bit, but the bulk of the games are still on Sunday,” Schroeder said.
Until the NFL starts moving the majority of its weekly games to days other than Sunday, the league is going to maintain a tight grip on that day.
We don’t see that ever happening, if for no other reason than it would create a mess in terms of players getting sufficient rest throughout the season.
But we would also say the NFL knows full well how important it is to dominate Sundays and the league isn’t going to give that up.
Continue reading...
