Bigger is not always better.

That's not stopping the NFL from continuing to push for an 18-game regular season schedule.

Each team in the league has played 16 regular season games since 1978, with the exception of the strike-shortened 1982 and 1987 seasons. An expanded 18-game slate has been talked about for a number of years, with the biggest roadblock being the health of players.

With all of the talk and controversy surrounding concussions due to repeated blows to the head, it's been a tough sell for the NFL to receive support for two more games.

But alas, the NFL last week threw in a stipulation that would guarantee no player would have to play any more games than they already do.

The proposal would increase each team's schedule every season to 18 games, but players, whether stars or not, would not be allowed to play any more than 16 games.

There has already been much feedback on the issue. Steelers offensive lineman Ramon Foster posted on Twitter, “With this proposal it's almost saying: 'We know certain games just aren't important, we just wanna pocket more money.'

“Almost makes it seem like it's ok to play down or we won't put our best players out each game. Profit over quality?”

That's exactly what the NFL is looking for — more money. No surprise there. More regular season games would reap more revenue from the television networks through advertising.

I realize that professional sports are a business and the goal of any business is to make money. But a line has to be drawn somewhere. Why doesn't the NFL play a 20-game schedule? That would be too many games, right? Well, 18 is also too many.

I spent Monday reading reactions on sports websites and listening to sports talk radio. Proponents for a longer schedule point out that in a lot of cases, the two “bye” weeks for players would be taken up during the season by injuries. Ben Roethlisberger gets hurt at midseason and misses back-to-back games in November, then he doesn't have to sit out two games when healthy.

This rationale has many flaws, but this is the one that came to my mind right away. Despite Roethlisberger's age, 37, he has been very durable the last few years. He started all 16 games last season and has not missed two regular season games since 2016.

Picture it: Roethlisberger starts the first 16 games of a season. The Steelers are 11-5 and fighting for a first-round bye. But, per the proposed rule, he would have to sit out the final two games.

And if the Steelers still get that bye into the divisional round of the playoffs, Roethlisberger would have to sit out a total of three straight weeks before being allowed to play. There could be an inch of rust on his right arm by that point.

That's just one example. Again, this rule would pertain to all players. Each team would have an expanded roster, but imagine this: Your team is lining up to kick a game-winning field goal in the 18th game with a playoff spot on the line. Your hopes rest on the ability of a backup kicker, holder and long snapper.

Yikes!

Peter King of NBC Sports posted a poll online over the weekend, asking fans for their opinion on this matter. Out of more than 13,500 votes, 79 percent voted in favor of staying with a 16-game schedule.

There's an old adage that warns: If it's not broke, don't fix it. There's a lot I would change about the current NFL, but the number of games is not one of them. Of the Big 4 sports in this country, the NFL has by far the most intruiging regular season.

If a team loses three straight games in MLB, NHL or NBA, big deal. Do that in the NFL and your playoff hopes are in serious jeopardy. Each game, including the ones played in September, hold much more weight than in the other three leagues.

The NFL wants more money and, in the end, money is the only variable that can make this change happen. Players would obviously be compensated if the league and teams rake in more dough because of two extra games. The NFLPA will get a chance to vote on the matter when the time comes.

Hopefully, Foster's view on the issue is a popular one around the league.

Derek Pyda is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle