Myles Garrett recently signed a massive contract extension with the Cleveland Browns, and the new deal may offer a strong hint about the direction of the NFL.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reviewed a copy of Garrett's new four-year, $160M contract and found an interesting clause. Garrett will be entitled to up to $1M in roster bonuses each year based upon the number of games for which he is on the active game-day roster.
The wording of the contract accounts for the NFL potentially expanding its regular season from 17 games to 18 games in the coming years.
If a regular-season game is added, Garrett will still earn a total of up to $1M in per-game roster bonuses.
"If there is a change in the number of regular season games, the per game bonus will change by dividing the maximum total bonus amount by the number of regular season games in that specific season,” the contract states. “By way of example, if there is an eighteen (18) game season then Player would earn $55,555.55 on a per game basis.”
In 2021, the NFL expanded its regular season from 16 games to 17 games and reduced the number of preseason games from three to four. It is widely assumed that the NFL and NFL Players Association will eventually agree to add an 18th regular-season game and drop another preseason contest.
The current collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and NFLPA runs through 2030. That is the same year Garrett's new contract is set to expire. There is a chance an 18th regular-season game could be added sooner than that if the NFL and NFLPA agree to it.
Garrett and the Browns are prepared for another regular-season game to be added in the near future. That likely means the rest of the NFL is as well.
