NFL Players Association chief DeMaurice Smith praised the business acumen of Roger Goodell while also being sharply critical of the ethics of his policy.

"When it comes to that stuff, he's brilliant," Smith says. "They monetize everything. The 18-game season is a perfect example. It's a revenue-generation idea that benefits the owners on the front end because it creates more revenue. And then it benefits owners on the back end because a longer season means more injuries and fewer of our players would get into a state of vesting where owners would have to pay for their pensions. It is diabolically brilliant. It also happens to be completely inconsistent with health and safety."

Goodell has been pushing for an 18-game season for several years, though there has been less talk about it in recent months.