Hurts don't it?

[StickierBuns]

I think 18 games will be fine if they get the season stared right away in early September, quit waiting until after labor day,  give teams an extra buy week,  and cut out the week between the championship games and the superbowl.

Honestly, this is exactly right. Do this and it'll be fine. Also dial back preseason games to only 2: they are junk, bullshit products.

[JimmyinSD]

This is where I’m at.  He has to be able to move and deal with pressure since he doesn’t have the experience to really deal with it mentally yet, but you can always look at the injury and put things off another week until much of the season is gone.  Guys have to play injured.  Everyone is injured.  I trust KOC to know if he’s too injured to play effectively.  I don’t think you put things off just because of the Eagles.  If he can move around the pocket, scramble for a first down, etc., get him back in there.

the old saying is are you hurt or injured, if you are injured get you ass off the field,  if you are hurt... rub some dirt on it and get ready for the next play.

[bigbone62]

we could blame season length, except we are only in what week 6... lets blame the lack of physical conditioning,  getting the bodies used to being beaten up and stretched back out only to do it again.   its crazy that not only are there less opportunities for guys to get those live hits in offseason practices, they arent even getting the reps they could be getting in pre-season.  I think this has more to do with the injuries than the length of the season,  hell I wouldnt be surprised to see teams healthier by year end just from a perspective of guys are getting used to the physical grind by then.

I think 18 games will be fine if they get the season stared right away in early September, quit waiting until after labor day,  give teams an extra buy week,  and cut out the week between the championship games and the superbowl.

But the seasons length is largely why teams are being so judicious with contact during camp and preseason. It's why when the league talks about adding games the NFLPA has repeatedly said they want one less preseason game for every regular season game added.

[supafreak84]

Yes they will.   17 game season is bad, 18 will be even worse.   There was NOTHING wrong with the 14 game season back in the 1970s.   30 teams was perfect.  15 per conference and 5 per each of 3 divisions per conference.   No weeks off, no bye weeks for higher seeds, the four best teams in each conference going after it and the Superbowl during the first or second week of January.   The league was not diluted as it is now.   There is no way they cannot expand the rosters to offset all the injuries.   Its just too many games.   Records are meaningless now imo.   OJ went for 2003 yards in a 14 game season.   Back then a 1,000 rushing or receiving season was one heck of an accomplishment.   Now with all the rule changes and QBs protected none of the offensive achievements are what they once were.   Really makes you appreciate the players from the 60s and 70s even more.

Spot on. The amount of injuries we have seen the last couple years leaguewide has to be a concern with the increase in frequency. Look at the incredible amount of soft tissue injuries (hamstrings) that are occurring coincidently as the amount of preseason games and padded practices have gone down. There is absolutely a direct correlation to that because players are being placed in bubble wrap, not playing a down until the regular season, and then going zero to 100 in a bigger, stronger, faster league. You just can't do it. Football is becoming a game of who best can survive the annual barrage of catastrophic injuries and adding more games to the regular season is not the answer. With that said, I certainly don't expect the league, owners, or NFLPA to make decisions in the best interest of the game itself as long as the cash keeps rolling in.

[JimmyinSD]

But the seasons length is largely why teams are being so judicious with contact during camp and preseason. It's why when the league talks about adding games the NFLPA has repeatedly said they want one less preseason game for every regular season game added.

the nflpa and their collective bargaining is why there is so little offseason ( and even in season ) contact.  I think we are seeing more injuries early in the year due to the lack of offseason hitting, and that has been in place much longer than the 17 game schedule or talk of an 18th game.

[JimmyinSD]

Spot on. The amount of injuries we have seen the last couple years leaguewide has to be a concern with the increase in frequency. Look at the incredible amount of soft tissue injuries (hamstrings) that are occurring coincidently as the amount of preseason games and padded practices have gone down. There is absolutely a direct correlation to that because players are being placed in bubble wrap, not playing a down until the regular season, and then going zero to 100 in a bigger, stronger, faster league. You just can't do it. Football is becoming a game of who best can survive the annual barrage of catastrophic injuries and adding more games to the regular season is not the answer. With that said, I certainly don't expect the league, owners, or NFLPA to make decisions in the best interest of the game itself as long as the cash keeps rolling in.

I think the bubble wrap has more to do with the salary cap and player contract sizes.  they cant afford to have more than 1 or 2 elite players per roster so they hide them for sure, and then to keep the peace... they rest others as well.  larger roster sizes would help with this IMO.

[supafreak84]

I think the bubble wrap has more to do with the salary cap and player contract sizes.  they cant afford to have more than 1 or 2 elite players per roster so they hide them for sure, and then to keep the peace... they rest others as well.  larger roster sizes would help with this IMO.

It's two fold, it's the guaranteed money in player contracts now and coaches scared of the scrutiny involved if one of their key players gets hurt in a "meaningless" preseason game. I'd be willing to bet most owners probably take that decision out of the hands of the coaches. I don't know what the right answer is, but there's been a steady uptick in injuries the last few years and it's practical to think it's related to their bodies just not being ready for the physical grind of a season due to a lack of padded practices and playing in preseason football

[greediron]

It's two fold, it's the guaranteed money in player contracts now and coaches scared of the scrutiny involved if one of their key players gets hurt in a "meaningless" preseason game. I'd be willing to bet most owners probably take that decision out of the hands of the coaches. I don't know what the right answer is, but there's been a steady uptick in injuries the last few years and it's practical to think it's related to their bodies just not being ready for the physical grind of a season due to a lack of padded practices and playing in preseason football

It's sort of the anti-logic.  I remember in my playing days in HS and then coaching jr tackle, a player had to have so many practices before they could pad up.  Then players had to have enough padded practices before they could play the game.

And that was at a HS or Jr. High level.  At pro level, I can only imagine it is needed all the more.  I think there needs to be a happy medium, don't wear the players down with too much in preseason, but they do need some actual hitting to get ready.

[Montana Tom]

Would you rather have him start at home against the Eagles or on the road against the Chargers? I have a feeling they'll keep him out one more week just to make sure his ankle is 100%. 

There's also the intangibles, which admittedly probably don't mean as much as people tend to think: Wentz against the team who drafted him, and McCarthy against his former coach.

Count me on the side that says "when he's 100%".
The kid has handled the pressure of a National CFP Championship.  
I see no reason to throw him back out there if he's not 100%...that's an unnecessary handicap when you figure Wentz has performed pretty well in relief, with limited knowledge of the playbook and his teammates.
Why tempt fate?  It's bad enough with a patchwork OL.