(Photo credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

SAN FRANCISCO -- The embattled NFLPA came armed with a very clear message during its annual Super Bowl press conference on Tuesday -- the union remains strong and the NFL will not force the players into adding an 18th regular-season game.

'The 18th game -- we've stated before, our members have no appetite for an 18th regular-season game,' interim executive director David White said. 'The 18th game is not casual for us. It's a very serious issue. It's something that comes out of negotiations.

'And nothing will move forward until players have the opportunity to account for all of those factors, take them into consideration and then, through negotiations, agree -- or not -- to the 18th game. As it stands right now, the players have been very clear. They don't have any appetite for it.'

White's comments came a week after New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft said expanding the regular season to 18 games seems inevitable, but a day after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said it is 'not a given.'

'There's 31 other owners, they all have different agendas and opinions on things,' NFLPA president Jalen Reeves-Maybin said. 'We haven't opened any 18-game discussions. It's not something the players are excited about. It's not something we feel there is a need for.'

An 18th game cannot be arbitrarily added by the league or its owners. It can only materialize through negotiations with the union, and the NFLPA is in no hurry to crack that door open.

'I don't think the union is in any rush to open that deal,' Reeves-Maybin said. 'We're not being proactive in that. We have a couple of years before this (Collective Bargaining Agreement) is up, and we always want to position ourselves in a position of strength. There hasn't been any true discussions or negotiations on when that will happen.'

White said the priority remains on player safety and pointed to the slew of late-season and postseason injuries.

'It's punishing. And we can see that on the teams that have deep postseason runs,' White said. 'We saw it this year. If you looked at even Week 16, the biggest storyline was arguably about the critical contributors going down. And this was across many teams. And if you look at wild-card weekend, which would be the 18th game if you took that week -- really significant injuries.

'Some that were high-profile but a bunch that weren't. But they happen. And those injuries cost players pay, they can shorten careers, they can diminish lifetime earnings. And when your average career is already 3-4 years, that becomes something that is existential.'

The topic of player safety dove-tailed with the continued expansion of international travel. The NFL announced on Monday that the 2026 season will feature a record nine international games. In addition to games in Mexico and Europe, the league will play its first regular-season game in Australia.

Reeves-Maybin and White acknowledged that many players enjoy international games, but that their experiences vary depending on the team they play for and the amount of time allowed for rest and recovery.

'We must be crystal clear about a few things,' White said. 'One, we have no interest in entertaining -- meaning, thinking about -- changes that harm player health. Or that harm recovery process. Or harm the ability to compete at the highest level for the longest period of time.

'We're interested in considering changes that fully account for those factors, that minimize risk and that ensure that players are properly recognized and compensated for a true fair share of the value that they create.'

The cohesive message share by Reeves-Maybin and White comes at a critical juncture for the NFLPA, whose search for a permanent executive director continues following the resignation last July of Lloyd Howell Jr. Howell lasted only two years after the former chief financial officer of technology consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton was selected by a 10-person NFLPA executive committee.

White, who has not been told whether he will be a candidate for the full-time position, said the NFLPA's 'foundation' has been stabilized over the past year. He pointed to the fully guaranteed contracts received by second-round draft picks for the first time ever, the progress made on field safety standards and the push for players to have 'meaningful access' to performance data.

'With all the noise out there this past year, our business remains strong,' White said. 'This reflects stabilizing, strengthening and moving forward. Players Inc. is once again on pace to deliver record-setting revenue for players. We feel very good about that, and we feel very good about the foundation moving forward.

The NFLPA was criticized for what was viewed by some as a secretive 16-month process that led to Howell's hiring. Reeves-Maybin said that it's impossible to 'touch' all 2,000 members about every issue discussed, that elected team representatives are 'in the know' and that it's hindsight to criticize a high-profile hire that did not work out.

'I think we've done a good job of engaging and being responsible to our players,' said Reeves-Maybin, who was involved in the search that led to Howell's hiring. 'After this process will everyone be happy? Maybe not. Will everyone feel like they were heard? Maybe not. But for myself, and for the executive committee, I know that we've put in our work, been thorough and kept integrity to the process.

'Major organizations do not run these processes for CEOs or executives in the public eye. We do not want outside narrative really driving our process. We hear from our players, we respond to them, we make sure they're on the same page and that's what we move forward with.

'If everyone thinks that this is going to be a see-through sheet of paper, and everyone knows everyone's names -- honestly, that's a joke of a process. And sometimes I feel like that's what everyone expects. Everyone wants to know everyone's name, and that's just not how a big time executive -- a CEO --of an organization like this should be handled.'

There is no timeline for the next executive director to be hired. But negotiations with the NFL about an 18th regular-season game -- or any other CBA-related matters -- won't take place until one is in place.

'This past year was pretty tumultuous for us at the union,' Reeves-Maybin said. 'Trust is an ongoing thing. You have to earn it all the time. I think it's ongoing, but I do think we're in a better position for sure.

'People are feeling very good about the direction we're moving in.'

--Denver Broncos offensive tackle Garrett Bolles was named the winner of the NFLPA Alan Page Community Award winner following a league-wide vote. The NFLPA made a $100,000 donation to Bolles' GB3 Foundation.

The other finalists were Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean, Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Dion Dawkins, Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry and Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams.

--Derek Harper, Field Level Media