What NFL Teams Are Not Playing Their Starters?

The regular season is winding down and some teams have already clinched a playoff spot. As a result, some teams may choose to rest their starters in the final few games. Here’s a look at which NFL teams are not playing their starters.

NFL Teams

NFL teams are not playing their starters in order to prevent injuries and to save them for the regular season. This is common for most teams, but there are a few exceptions. The starters that are not playing are usually the ones that are most likely to get injured, so it makes sense for the teams to save them.

Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its home games at M&T Bank Stadium and is headquartered in Owings Mills.

The Ravens were established in 1996, when Art Modell, who was then the owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced plans to relocate the franchise to Baltimore. As part of a settlement between Modell and the city of Cleveland, the Ravens agreed to take over the contracts of all of the Browns’ unsigned players, while Modell took over the contract of every Browns coach. The deal was reached on March 28, 1996, and on April 24,, 1996, the relocation was approved by NFL owners unanimously.

The Ravens have appeared in three Super Bowls since 2000, winning two of them (Super Bowl XXXV and Super Bowl XLVII). They also played in and lost Super Bowl XLII.

Green Bay Packers

In Week 3 of the 2019 NFL preseason, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur announced that Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the team’s starters will not play in their final exhibition game.

New England Patriots

The Patriots are one of the most successful teams in the NFL, and they have a deep bench of talented players. However, they often don’t play their starters in the preseason, preferring to give them a rest. This can be frustrating for fans who want to see their favorite players on the field, but it’s usually a good sign for the team’s prospects in the regular season.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league’s American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its home games at Heinz Field on Pittsburgh’s North Side in the North Shore neighborhood, which also hosts the University of Pittsburgh Panthers. The Steelers have won more Super Bowl titles and hosted more conference championship games than any other NFL team. The Steelers have played in 8 Super Bowls, winning 6 of them.

Why These Teams?

It’s preseason football, which means that some NFL teams are holding out their starters. This is to prevent any injuries that could ruin their season before it even begins. So, which teams are not playing their starters? And why?

Lack of Depth

While many starters sit out the entire preseason, some teams are resting their starters for only the first couple of games while other teams are holding out their key players for all four preseason contests. There are a couple of primary factors that teams consider when making the decision on how much, or how little, to play their starters during the preseason.

The first factor is depth. A team with a lot of depth can afford to hold out their starters for all of the preseason because they have enough talent on the second and third string to win games. A team lacking in depth needs to play their starters more during the preseason so that they can get a better idea of what they have before the regular season starts.

The second factor is risk vs. reward. The more a starter plays during the preseason, the greater the risk that they will suffer an injury. However, the more a starter plays during the preseason, the better chance they have of being in game shape come week one of the regular season. It’s a balancing act that each team has to decide for themselves.

In general, teams with Super Bowl aspirations tend to err on the side of caution and rest their starters for most, if not all, of the preseason while teams that are rebuilding or on the fringe of playoff contention tend to play their starters more during exhibition games.

Injuries

Injuries are the biggest reason that NFL teams might not play their starters in the preseason. A coach might not want to risk an injury to a key player in a game that doesn’t count. Also, if a team has a lot of injuries at a certain position, the coaches might want to get a look at some of the younger players who will have to step up if there are injuries during the regular season.

Another reason for resting starters is that the coaches might want to take a look at some of the young players on the roster. These players are fighting for a spot on the team and the coaches want to see what they can do in game situations. If the starters play the entire game, these young players might not get much playing time.

Poor Performance

The following NFL teams have decided to rest their starters for the remainder of the season. This is due to a variety of reasons, but the most common one is that these teams have already clinched a spot in the playoffs and want to avoid injury. Additionally, some of these teams are simply out of contention and have nothing to gain by playing their starters.

-Tennessee Titans
-New England Patriots
-New Orleans Saints
-Los Angeles Rams
-Chicago Bears
-Kansas City Chiefs
-Philadelphia Eagles

What Does This Mean for These Teams?

The NFL preseason is winding down, and that means the regular season is right around the corner. For some teams, that means their starters will see less and less playing time. So, what does that mean for these teams?

Lack of Experience

The Giants are one of several teams who have already announced that they will not be playing their starters in Week 4. This is a very bad sign for the teams involved, as it indicates a lack of faith in their ability to compete at a high level.

The other teams who have announced similar plans are the 49ers, Chargers, Bills, and Steelers. All of these teams are expected to be competitive this season, but their lack of experience could hurt them in the long run.

These teams will need to rely on their backups and role players to step up and fill the void left by their starters. It will be interesting to see how these players perform under pressure and if they can help their team win games.

Poor Preparation

The NFL has a problem. Ten teams are scheduled to play in the first week of the preseason, but only eight will have their starting quarterbacks playing. This is a direct result of the new collective bargaining agreement limiting the number of padded practices during the preseason and regular season. As a result, coaches have less time to prepare their starters and get them ready for game action.

The teams that are not playing their starters are:
– Arizona Cardinals
– Baltimore Ravens
– Chicago Bears
– Cleveland Browns
– Denver Broncos
– Detroit Lions
– Green Bay Packers
– New York Jets

These teams are at a disadvantage because they will not have the opportunity to fine tune their offenses with their starting quarterbacks. This could lead to sloppy play and unpreparedness when the regular season starts.

Poor Record

In the NFL, if a team has a poor record, they are not playing their starters. This is because the starters are the best players on the team and they need to be rested for the next season. The team wants to win, but they also want to be prepared for the future.