NFL: It's Time To Get Rid Of Preseason Football

For some reason in 2023, preseason football still exists in the NFL. Argue all you want that it’s how undrafted players stand out to gain the final roster spots, but as the NFL evolves, coaches know well in advance who is going to make an impact or not.

First and foremost, the NFL has partnered with the XFL and is working on developing young and inexperienced players. If a young guy isn’t polished enough to keep up with a veteran player on an opposing team, chances are he’s not going to magically make the jump in the weeks of training camp and the 3-week preseason. The thought process is these guys who impress at camps will eventually be the depth on the back part of the 53-man roster, but it’s false hope.

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That’s not to say there are not a few diamond-in-the-rough candidates who stand out each year but if a player doesn’t come out and instantly show flash, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. These young guys work with the same guys in camp all preseason. They learn their tendencies, their tells, and all their moves in practice. Anyone who picks up on these things will learn to take advantage of their opponent. So of course it’s going to look like they’re improving all camp long.

But that’s not the real reason preseason is useless. None of the starters play. The ones that do, aren’t going to risk giving 100% and walking away with an injury. So the second and third-string players make it out on the field, only to play against opposing second and third-string players. Now these are professional athletes and some do need time to develop, but it’s not happening in the preseason. Yes, coaches want to see how a player acts and reacts in real time but it’s no different than simulated games in joint practices.

Instead of these boring a– gimmicky Thursday Night Football or Black Friday games to try and sneak in a few more dollars to these already billion-dollar owners, just move the regular season up a couple of weeks. Then add 1 or two more regular season games. Allow players who make the Super Bowl to have another full week off for both teams to get truly healthy and let’s see who the better team is. The NFL is so concerned with player safety, right? Give these guys an extra bye week so they’re less likely to play hurt. There are a handful of options here where fans don’t have to be subjected to halfhearted football.