Here&#8217;s good news for those who decry NFL exhibition games at regular-season prices.</p><p>NFL commissioner Roger Goodell indicated on Thursday that the league may reduce the preseason by as many as two games and increase the regular season from 16 to 18 games.</p><p>Goodell, in a radio interview with Dan Patrick, said a change could come by 2010 at the earliest, subject to collective bargaining with the players association and adjustments to contracts with the television networks.</p><p>Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said he&#8217;d be open to a change from the current format of four preseason games and 16 regular-season games.</p><p>&#8220;It might make sense to go to 17 and three as a first step and see how that works,&#8221; Hunt said before the Chiefs&#8217; preseason game against St. Louis on Thursday night.</p><p>At least two Chiefs veterans are in favor of the move.</p><p>&#8220;I think it&#8217;s the right thing to do,&#8221; said quarterback Damon Huard. &#8220;The fans certainly love regular-season action. The only downside is if you have a team that is 2-13 or 5-11 and you have to play those last couple of games.</p><p>&#8220;Are those games worse than the fourth preseason game? Probably not, if you have superstars coming to town from the other team and they&#8217;re going to play.&#8221;</p><p>Cornerback Patrick Surtain said, &#8220;It&#8217;s kind of hard to get into preseason games because you know you&#8217;re coming out of the game. But if something meaningful is on the line, I think guys will go for it.&#8221;</p><p>Hunt believes there might be some divided opinions among ownership.</p><p>&#8220;Some organizations might prefer to go with a shorter preseason to try to avoid injury and others might prefer to stay with four preseason games because they feel it&#8217;s important in terms of getting ready for the season,&#8221; Hunt said.</p><p>This may be the ideal time to address the issue with the players association because the union and ownership will be heading to the bargaining table in the next few months. The owners recently opted out of the current collective bargaining agreement, and they want a new collective agreement by the spring of 2010.</p><p>&#8220;The timing might work out very well,&#8221; Hunt said. &#8220;There is going to be lots of dialogue on a whole lot of issues, and this will be one. I would imagine the players might have different opinions on it as well.&#8221;</p><p>Certainly the players would prefer another regular-season game check or over exhibition game wages.</p><p>&#8220;No one likes to admit it, but that&#8217;s a part of it,&#8221; Surtain said. &#8220;I think guys would rather get paid for 18 regular-season games and two preseason games any day.&#8221;</p><p>Rookies receive $800 a week during the preseason, which includes the preseason game. Non-rookies are paid $200 a preseason game and $1,225 per week.</p><p>The television contracts with FOX, CBS, and NBC run through the 2011 season. The deal with ESPN expires after 2013. Any adjustment to the schedule before 2013 would need to take into account a system for paying the NFL for the extra regular-season games.</p><p>&#8220;We have to grow the pie,&#8221; New England owner Robert Kraft, a proponent of expanding the regular-season schedule, told the <em>Boston Globe</em>. &#8220;The biggest way of quickly growing the pie is in the media area. The feeling is that we would get greater revenue for media if we had more regular-season games.&#8221;</p><p><hr class="infobox-hr-separator" /> <div class="infobox"> <strong><span class="infobox-head">Pacman Jones reinstated </span></strong><br /> Cornerback/kick returner Adam &#8220;Pacman&#8221; Jones was fully reinstated Thursday from his 17-month suspension following an accumulation of arrests and legal problems and can play for the Dallas Cowboys when the season starts.</p><p>&#8220;I am very grateful for this opportunity,&#8221; said Jones, who had been practicing with the Cowboys and played in preseason games. &#8220;I understand my responsibilities to the Dallas Cowboys and the National Football League.&#8221;</p><p>NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell declined to make any comment about his decision to reinstate Jones.</p><p>Jones last played in the NFL Dec. 31, 2007. He was suspended in April 2007 and missed all of last season.</p><p>&#8226;<strong>WALKING AGAIN</strong>: Texans receiver Harry Williams, who suffered a spinal injury last week, walked by himself Thursday morning at Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas. Williams told Houston television station KRIV: &#8220;I started walking today. I brushed my own teeth, sat up in a chair, fed myself. I&#8217;m doing good man.&#8221;</p><p></div>