The NFL owners met in Minneapolis this past week for their annual meeting, discussing new proposals, draft logistics, and more. However, the most crucial items discussed, and those that will immediately impact the NFL this upcoming season, both revolved around player safety. These were the ability to flex Thursday Night Football games and a new rule outlining that any fair catch on a kickoff, even those not in the endzone would see the ball brought to the 25-yard line.
Player safety has not always been at the forefront of football. Only recently has the game started to change. It is inarguable that the NFL has become a safer, less violent league. Players such as Steve Atwater and Ronnie Lott were well-known for their physical play. It was rare that a receiver would run over the middle of the field unscathed. Even just a couple of years ago, the devastating Seattle Seahawks defense dubbed the “Legion of Boom” had some of the hardest hitters the game has ever seen in Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas Jr. As the league has started to penalize hits on “defenseless” receivers, players like Atwater and Lott are fewer and far between.
Now, there are numerous penalties, rules, and equipment that protect players as much as possible. While all of these things have made the game safer on the field, there are still things the league office has done to continue to keep players in harm's way. One big concern to player health was the addition of a game on Thursday night starting in the 2006 season. Players and coaches were weary about playing games on such little rest. Fast forward to 2023, and now some NFL clubs will have to play two Thursday night games. There was an initial outcry over this during the NFL schedule release in early May. Teams dread Thursday night games, especially those on the road- these games make for hectic weeks, and leave little time for recovery. This is just the most recent example that exemplified the league’s choice to support their business partners rather than their players.
Coaches, players, and even fans were dissatisfied when it was announced that multiple TNF games were a possibility. Unsurprisingly, there was more malcontent when the vote passed to enable the flexing of TNF. The rule is in effect for Weeks 13–17. Teams will be given at least a 28-day warning if one of their games is flexed into Thursday night.
At their annual get-together, the NFL owners garnered just the minimum number of votes needed, passing the proposal with a vote of 24–8. At their previous meeting, the vote fell two shy of being passed. The Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos flipped their vote, giving the vote the minimum number needed. The reason the Panthers and Broncos flipped is unknown, but it is worth mentioning that those franchises have the two newest owners in David Tepper and Rob Walton. Purchasing their teams in 2018 and 2022 respectively, they could very well be trying please Commissioner Goodell.
The Giants, Jets, Lions, Packers, Raiders, Bengals, Bears, and Steelers were the teams who opposed the proposal, with the Giants’ John Mara and the Raiders’ Mark Davis being particularly outspoken about the change. While Mara is opposed, he cited the plan would be extremely inconsiderate to fans but did not mention the players as a reason for his opposition.
Why is this happening? One would have to look back to last year when TNF moved to Amazon Prime for the first time. Last season was the first year of an eleven-year deal between the NFL and Amazon worth over $11B. Thursday night games averaged 9.58M viewers last year, less than expected. The NFL has publicly addressed the first year of TNF on Amazon and was happy with the launch, noting that moving a prime-time game to a streaming service would result in some kinks to work out. However, Amazon did not publicly address its internal success metrics, and it is thought that Amazon was dissatisfied with the streaming numbers and the overall decline in viewership of TNF.
This is likely what prompted Goodell and the owners to push for the flexing of TNF. Every other traditional network could flex games in primetime spots, like Sunday and Monday Night Football. It is likely Amazon demanded the NFL make similar accommodations for their games, and Goodell has over eleven billion reasons to try and satisfy them. The owners have similar incentives, as the guaranteed $350M checks they receive every year are made possible by the revenue generated from broadcast networks.
All of this leaves little consideration for players' health. Some teams will play two games on TNF. This is not random either- the ability to flex TNF allows for the league to put more exciting matchups in prime time. Effectively, players on superior teams take on more risk, simply due to the fact that fans enjoy watching them play. This is the unfortunate business of professional football. It would not be surprising to see future studies on player injuries due to a lack of proper rest. The NFL already studies soft tissue injuries due to a lack of recovery in training camp, so it will be interesting to see if they do the same for TNF games, especially for those who play TNF twice in one season. If the NFL truly has player safety at the forefront of their decisions, the bare minimum they could do is monitor the impact their decision has on their players.
Another change that came about this week was a new kickoff rule- any fair catch made on a kickoff will result in the ball being placed at the 25-yard line. Special team plays are deemed some of the most dangerous in football, due to the potential for high-speed collisions. However, many coaches and players question if this new rule will really make a difference. The biggest injury concern in the NFL is concussions. New helmets, technology, and rule changes have all been about reducing head injuries. Looking at data, the effectiveness of the new kickoff rule can be estimated. Last season, out of about 2,700 kickoffs, 19 resulted in a concussion. That means 99.3% of kickoffs were concussion-free. Additionally, Sports Illustrated noted that 11 of the 19 concussions occurred when the returner ran the ball out of the end zone. This new rule would have no effect in these situations. Furthermore, just one of the 19 concussions was to the returner.
There could also be some other unintended consequences. As traditional kickoffs are now more likely to be fair caught and put at the 25, teams may utilize low-line drive kicks or squib kicks to prevent fair catches and force a return. This would only make for more chaotic and fast-paced play in small spaces, just the type of play that leads to violent collisions.
Some believe the NFL approved this rule on the same day as the TNF flex ruling to create the image that the league really does prioritize player safety. In reality, this rule will do virtually nothing to decrease head injuries and as discussed above, could even lead to more of them. This concern is shared among Special Teams and Head Coaches around the league. Ten coaches even went to the NFL Films office in New Jersey to discuss the potential pitfalls of the new rule.
The kickoff rule is a facade. It is something the NFL can wave in front of the media and claim they are doing everything possible to protect the players. However, for those who dive deeper, it is seen that the league does not care. Forcing players to play multiple games on short weeks with minimal rest and little notice is detrimental, and pushback from coaches and players can be expected in the forthcoming years. Once again, by trying to please their newest partner Amazon, the NFL shows they only care about one thing-money.
