Since the 17th-game rule was implemented, neither the players nor the head coaches of the teams seem to have embraced it very well; as it has received harsh criticism from both groups.
The league added one more game rule in 2021 after using the 16-game slate for 43 years. Despite the fact that owners had officially approved the new schedule, reactions to it ranged from widespread disapproval to genuine worries about player safety.
Mike McCarthy, the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, has recently expressed his concern for the physical well-being of his team’s players owing to the rule ahead of the regular season.
Mike McCarthy slams NFL’s decision to add one more game to season
September marks the start of the regular season, but coaches and players are still getting used to the 17th-game rule, and in this regard, McCarthy seems more concerned with his players’ health than anything else.
The primary reason for worry for the head coach is that every time the players step onto the football field, there is an inherent possibility of injury and a potential risk of missing the next game of the tournament.
“I think the 17th game impact is real,” he said. “I have felt it with our team.”
Dallas Cowboys HC wary of players’ fitness issues
The 59-year-old is in the driver’s seat of keeping his team’s players in shape for every position of the game and isn’t interested in a wide range of players on the field. Moreover, the extra game will only stretch out the season without doing anything to help the team or the players—instead, it could endanger their health in the process.
“History will tell you continuity factors into your wins and losses. You look at the history of five offensive linemen lining up and starting every game of a season on the win total, I don’t recall the exact number, but it’s a significant number,” he added.
Since the beginning, criticism has poured in from some of the most well-known players and head coaches but the NFL doesn’t seem to be paying any heed. Even California Cool Tom Brady lost his cool and regarded it as “A terrible decision.”
At this point, The NFL community wouldn’t be shocked if the authority tried to push for an 18-game schedule in the coming years.
