With the NFL choosing to allow teams to play in multiple Thursday Night Football games per year, the issue of player safety has yet again been thrust to the forefront.
In the past, the NFL hardly ever permitted franchises to play on multiple Thursdays as players are, at times, competing with only three days of rest. However, after the decision was made to add more TNF games in this week’s owners meetings, ESPN football analyst Robert Griffin III was not thrilled about the decision.
The former NFL quarterback said the league’s decision goes directly against keeping player safety at the forefront of the sport.
“The NFL is now allowing teams to have TWO Thursday Night Football games per year. A league that continuously says it is all about improving player safety continues to put the health of its players at risk. Playing 1 game with only 3 days rest isn’t smart. Playing 2 is RIDICULOUS,” Griffin tweeted.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, on John Mara calling flexing of TNF games, “abusive…”
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 29, 2023
“Providing the best match ups for our fans is what we do. But we look at all the impacts. It’s a very important thing to balance between the in-stadium fans and those who watch on TV.”
These changes could eventually lead to the league permitting flex scheduling for Thursday Night Football. As a result, it would force teams to play on shorter weeks with as little as two week’s notice prior to the game.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported that the league will vote on the option to flex Thursday games in May.
