Sunday’s injuries to 2 of the NFL’s largest stars is not going to deter the league’s quest for another regular-season sport.
It simply won’t. It’s too late for that. As early as 2010, Commissioner Roger Goodell made clear the will to develop to 18 games, by making the quite simple argument that there are 20 complete games and the four (at the time) preseason games stink. Why not transfer the games that depend from 16 to 18 and those that do not from 4 to 2?
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The league surprisingly backed off on the time, unable to reconcile a (*18*)-forced epiphany concerning well being and security with rising the whole annual workload by 12.5 p.c. The 2011 CBA gave the league the power to unilaterally lower the preseason, with the thought (on the time) that the NFLPA would reply to that motion by clamoring for extra games that depend. (The league by no means exercised its prerogative.)
So the league waited till 2020 earlier than persuading the NFL Players Association to agree to maneuver from 16 to 17 games. The CBA primarily based on one further sport confronted a lot stiffer resistance than the NFLPA anticipated.
Since then, the will to complete the growth to 18 has grown. It’s broadly thought to be inevitable that the league will push for one other sport, both by way of the subsequent spherical of CBA negotiations or, if essential, a lockout that can linger till the gamers say “uncle.”
Regardless, the league desires 18. It’s decided to get 18. And any considerations about elevated harm threat can be met with an array of cherry-picked statistics that can help the case. Starting with the plain knowledge level that the Patrick Mahomes and Micah Parsons ACL tears occurred of their 14th games of the season — quite a lot of regular-season contest the NFL has been taking part in since 1961.
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The league’s need for 18 games can be thwarted provided that the NFLPA provides up sufficient different stuff to fulfill the league’s broader income aim, or if the NFLPA can persuade the gamers to simply accept a piece stoppage that wipes out a full season. The latter seemingly won’t occur; the previous could be a brief repair, stalling however not erasing the obsession with 18 games.
The NFL is a soccer machine. Every participant is a component in that machine. Every participant/half can be changed sooner or later, both briefly or completely. And the machine will hold churning. Swapping out injured gamers or retired gamers or gamers who’re merely inferior to the obtainable options and always printing an increasing number of and extra money.
More. That’s what the NFL desires. That’s what the NFL will get. Because it all the time does. As lengthy as the availability of minimally competent gamers outweighs the demand for roster spots, that would be the case.