Patriots Leader Claps Back At NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell

Roger Goodell has a clear vision for his ideal NFL season structure, and one longtime Patriots captain isn’t a fan of a certain aspect of the potential model.

Appearing on last Friday’s episode of “The Pat McAfee Show,” Goodell kicked around the possibility of extending the league’s regular season from 17 to 18 games. Such a change probably would require a trimming of the preseason, and the commissioner admitted he’s “not a fan of” the exhibition slate.

The candor drew a response from New England center David Andrews, who countered Goodell’s stance on the preseason via Instagram story.

“With all due respect, you don’t need it cause you’re not suiting up and there’s a lot of veterans who don’t,” Andrews wrote in the post. “But there’s a lot of young players and undrafted guys who need it to develop and prove they deserve a chance to play. But hell maybe I don’t know what I’m talking about.”

It’s easy to understand why Andrews is so passionate about the subject. The Georgia product latched on with the Patriots after going undrafted in 2015. Reps in training camp and the preseason — which was a four-game slate at the time — that year helped Andrews prove himself not only worthy of a roster spot but also a starting role as a rookie.

We shouldn’t be surprised if the NFL eventually expands to an 18-game regular-season schedule, as there’s a lot of money to be made from adding another contest. That’s the driving force in the league, no matter what Goodell or the 32 owners say.

But if that big change is made, Andrews’ remarks indicate the transition wouldn’t be met with unanimous approval across the league.