By Jordan Long
The NFL preseason is down to its’ 4th and final week. Every team will be in action today. Once that is over, teams will need to cut players to make the rosters each 53 men. The preseason is far too long. NFL franchises generally know who is going to make the team during training camp. The games are for the athletes who are in the bubble to shine and make the coaches’ decisions easier. It is time to trim down the preseason.
In preseason games, most starters won’t even suit up. They don’t need to show off their skills and may play only a series or a quarter. Injuries to star players are not uncommon and it might change the course of a year. This year New England Patriots’ wide receiver Julian Edelman tore his ACL and is out for the year. Kansas City Chiefs’ running back Spencer Ware tore ligaments in his knee and is facing a year where he sits. Of course, they might have been avoided if preseason was shorter.
The NFL must take a long look at preseason games. They are not worth star players going down with injuries before the regular season. Most teams scrimmage against a team during training camp. This is like another preseason game because they are going against another team even though they will play them that week.
The NFL needs to adjust the schedule to two preseason games. Teams may choose to use the first week for the starters so they can have real action. The second week is for reserve participants to demonstrate their skills. Coaches review the film and decide who is going to be cut and who stays. The other option for them is to use the reserves in both games. Coaches already know what the starters can do.
This solution is fair. Injuries may be fewer at least in preseason games. Franchises might not see star players go down before the season but they could still get hurt during practice. The NFL needs to figure out a way to make the preseason shorter. It lasts a few weeks to long.
How should the NFL fix the preseason?
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