Is the NFL Preseason Over?

The NFL preseason is typically four weeks long, but some fans and pundits are wondering if it’s too long. What do you think?

The Case for a Shorter Preseason

The NFL preseason is four weeks long, and some argue that it is too long. They believe that the players are not sufficiently prepared for the regular season, and that the preseason games are not exciting. Let’s take a look at the case for a shorter preseason.

Injuries

The National Football League preseason is four weeks long, and each team plays four games. That’s 16 total games, or 1 percent of the NFL season. But those preseason games come at a cost: Injuries.

According to a study by the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, there were 2,358 preseason NFL injuries from 2012 to 2016. The most common injuries were to the knee (30 percent), ankle (16 percent) and thigh (11 percent).

Why are these injuries occurring? Many experts believe that it has to do with the length of the preseason. The games are played at full speed, without any pads, and players are susceptible to injury because they haven’t had enough time to prepare their bodies for the rigors of the season.

In recent years, there have been calls for the NFL to shorten the preseason. Some have suggested reducing it to two weeks, while others have advocated for eliminating it altogether. Image how many injuries could be prevented if players didn’t have to play in four meaningless games before the start of the season.

The NFL has been slow to act on these calls for shorter preseason, but maybe that will change in the wake of all the recent injuries. If nothing else, it would be a way for the league to show that it cares about player safety.

Lack of Meaningful Games

The lack of meaningful games is the most obvious issue with the current preseason setup. It’s common for starters to play only a series or two in the first preseason game, and maybe a half in the second. By the time the third game rolls around, most starters are sitting out entirely as coaches begin to focus on who will round out the bottom of their roster. So for fans, that means paying for four exhibition games, only to see their favorite players on the field for maybe a quarter total.

The Case for a Longer Preseason

The preseason is far too short. Players need more time to get into game shape and avoid injuries. The regular season is also too long. With a longer preseason, the NFL could reduce the number of regular season games. This would make the season more exciting and reduce player fatigue.

Player Development

Preseason football is too long. It’s a drag on player development and it’s a risk to player health. The NFL should shorten the preseason schedule and give players more time to prepare for the regular season.

The current preseason schedule is four games long, with each team playing two home games and two away games. The first preseason game is typically played in early August, with the regular season starting in early September. The NFL preseason is the longest of any major sport in the United States.

Players are not in peak condition during the preseason, as they are still working their way back from the offseason break. This can lead to more injuries, as players are more likely to pull a muscle or suffer a concussion when they’re not fully rested and prepared.

The length of the preseason also puts players at a disadvantage when they’re trying to make the transition from college to the NFL. They have less time to learn complex schemes and gain invaluable experience playing against top-level competition.

Shortening the preseason would give players more time to get into shape and learn their playbook before the regular season starts. It would also make the game safer for everyone involved.

Roster Evaluation

During the preseason, NFL coaches are trying to figure out which players will help them win regular-season games and which ones will be cut. This is especially difficult for first-year coaches, who don’t know much about the talent on their roster. Even for veteran coaches, the preseason is an important time for evaluating talent.

Players on the roster bubble need to make a good impression in preseason games to secure a spot on the team. These games are also important for young players who are trying to earn a starting role or carve out a role on the team. The more reps they can get in game situations, the better chance they have of success during the regular season.

Preseason games also give coaches a chance to see how well their team responds to game situations. They can see how well players execute the game plan and how they adjust to adversity. This information is important for making in-game decisions during the regular season.

The NFL preseason is important for teams to evaluate their rosters and get game experience before the start of the regular season.

Preseason Length Should be Reduced

The NFL preseason is four weeks long, and some players think that’s two weeks too long. They argue that the preseason is too long and that it’s a waste of time. They also say that the preseason is a waste of money because the games don’t count. While the NFL preseason is four weeks long, the length should be reduced.

Injuries

In the NFL preseason, players are at a higher risk for injury because they are not in mid-season form yet. This was evident in the 2017 preseason, where there were 291 reported injuries. This is an increase from the 2016 preseason, where there were 253 reported injuries. In total, there have been 1,303 reported preseason injuries since 2012. The most common injuries are hamstring and quad strains, followed by ACL tears. Reducing the length of the NFL preseason would help to reduce the number of injuries that occur during this time.

Lack of Meaningful Games

The NFL preseason is too long. There are four games that teams play before the regular season starts, but these games don’t count towards a team’s record. For example, if the New England Patriots go undefeated in the preseason, their record would still be 0-0. These games are used as a way for coaches to evaluate their rosters and for players to get back into game shape after the long offseason. But with such high ticket prices and little meaning behind the games, fans are getting less and less interested in attending them.

In 2017, the average NFL ticket cost $102.66, but prices for preseason games were significantly lower. The cheapest ticket to a preseason game was $6, while the most expensive was $130. So why are people so reluctant to pay top dollar to see meaningless football?

Many believe that the NFL should reduce the length of the preseason or even do away with it altogether. There is a growing sentiment among fans that they would rather see their teams play in meaningful games, even if it means fewer overall contests. After all, who wants to pay regular season prices to see players that may not even make the final cut?

Preseason Length Should be Reduced

The NFL preseason is four weeks long, and each team plays four preseason games. The preseason is too long. The games are meaningless and players are at a higher risk for injury. Let’s take a closer look at why the preseason should be shorter.

Player Development

While there is validity to the argument that players need time to develop chemistry and perfect their craft, the NFL preseason is far too long. At four games, it’s twice as long as the NBA and NHL preseasons, and three times longer than MLB’s. Players are at risk of injury, and starters see very little playing time.

The NFL preseason should be shortened for the sake of player safety and development. Two games would be sufficient for players to get in shape and prepare for the regular season. This would also allow for more meaningful games, as starters would see more playing time.

Injuries are a major concern during the preseason. In 2017, there were 222 reported concussions during preseason games, according to data from the NFL’s head injuries database. That’s nearly double the number of concussions reported during the regular season (118).

One of the reasons for this increase is that players are not in game-shape during the preseason. They are coming off of their offseason training programs and have not yet reached their peak physical conditioning. As a result, they are more susceptible to injury.

Another reason for increased injuries during the preseason is that starters see very little playing time. In 2016, starters averaged just over 20 snaps per game during the preseason, according to Pro Football Focus. That’s less than one full quarter of football.

Backups and third-stringers see most of the action in preseason games, which leads to more injuries because they are not as physically prepared as starters or even second-stringers. These players are also fighting for a spot on the roster, so they tend to take more risks on the field which can result in injuries.

The NFL should shorten the preseason to two games and give players more time to get in shape before they start playing meaningful football games. This would lead to fewer injuries and provide fans with a better product on the field.

Roster Evaluation

The NFL preseason is four weeks long, and it’s important for teams to use that time to evaluate their rosters. But is the preseason too long? Should the NFL reduce the length of the preseason?

There are several arguments for reducing the length of the preseason. First, four weeks is a long time for players to be away from their families. Second, the risk of injury increases with the number of games played. Third, four weeks of preseason games is a lot of football, and it’s hard to keep fans engaged for that long.

On the other hand, there are some arguments for keeping the preseason at four weeks. First, it gives coaches a chance to see how players perform in game situations. Second, four weeks is a good amount of time to evaluate rookies and younger players. Third, the NFL has a lot of revenue tied to its preseason games, so reducing the length of the preseason would have financial implications.

Ultimately, whether or not to reduce the length of the preseason is a decision that will be made by the NFL and its 32 teams. But it’s an important discussion to have, as there are pros and cons to both sides of the argument.