Don Yee, an agent who represents Tom Brady and Sean Payton, has a very unique idea for creating an 18-game schedule which might please both the NFL and the players -- play 18 games but limit each player to participating in only 16 games.  This would give the owners the two extra games they desire, along with the additional revenue, while also not asking the players to risk more injuries by playing in two additional games.  Yee also proposed increasing each team's roster from 53 to 58 (which the players should also like) and making all players active for every game in order to for each team to have enough players who can play every week.  This article explains his idea in further detail. 

He thinks this idea would give more opportunities for younger players to get experience in the league because they can play more snaps when the usual starters are sitting for those two games.  And it would create additional intrigue for the fans because there would be much discussion about which games the QB's and other star players should sit.  It would also give players more time to rest during the season, and players with injuries that they might normally try to play through could sit out those games because they all must miss two games anyways.

Of course, teams probably won't like having to sit guys like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady for two games and fans who bought tickets for those games won't be very happy, either.  Not to mention the havok this would wreck with fantasy leagues.  While I doubt any idea like this every gets implimented it is certainly an interesting suggestion and something fun to talk about.  There are endless strategy discussions which could be had among fans about a rule like this.