NFL players are nearly unanimous in their opposition to Roger Goodell’s desire to increase the regular season to 18 games. But few players have gone off on the subject like Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork.
As we noted in today’s one-liners, Wilfork gave an extensive interview on the subject to Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald. And he let it rip.
“I can tell you one thing, 18 games don’t make no sense,” Wilfork said. “Eighteen games turns into 20 games because the two preseason games you have to play your veterans and your starters. So that’s 20 games. If you look at it from that standpoint, it’s a stupid thing. It’s just too stupid to be adding games.”
Wilfork noted that it’s odd for the league to say it wants to emphasize player safety, and then say it wants to expose players to more injuries in more games.
“You talk about concussions now with a 16-game season, you just think about what would happen with 18 games, and with other injuries? It would be real crazy if you have some of your key players missing games because they can’t make it through,” Wilfork said. “If you get to Games 17 or 18, and your key guys are missing, what happens then? I don’t know, it’s all crazy. I just think it’ll be real stupid if they do that. That’s all I’m saying.”
Still, Wilfork acknowledged that if the owners insist on an 18-game season, it’s something that the union might have to concede.
“It’s going to do whatever the NFL wants to do, anyways,” he said. “It’s one of those things where you just have to sit and see what happens.”