While there officially isn’t “tanking” in the NFL like other pro sports, there is the habit of resting veterans or putting them on snap counts because the current season has reached the point where making the playoffs will be virtually impossible. The teams that finish at the bottom tend to be the same teams year after year. We know who they are.
What makes this season so bizarre is the teams that are included on the walking dead list. The Green Bay Packers are 4-7 and on life support, and the list of 3-7 teams includes the defending champion Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos. These aren’t teams known for tanking – much less losing so often.
Will they take the time-honored, semi-ethical approach of giving young players more opportunities to see what they have moving forward while letting the vets ease into the end of the season? It will be interesting because these franchises haven’t been bottom feeders often.
