Back in July, Texans running back Arian Foster spent an entire interview saying that he was “trying to be the best teammate” he could be.
Foster was more expansive in a meeting with the media on Monday and referred to those teammates and others around the league while discussing his negative opinion of Thursday night games. Foster, who will face the Colts this Thursday, said he doesn’t know a player or fan that likes the games, which he correctly pointed out are a way for the league to generate more revenue. Foster also said that he felt that desire to generate revenue came at the expense of the league’s stance on player safety.
“They emphasize concussions when they start getting hit with lawsuits and they care about the players’ safety but Thursday Night Football is putting every player on the football field in danger,” Foster said, via the Houston Chronicle.
Foster was then asked if he believed that the NFLPA should work with the league to address those concerns, which have been aired by other players since the adoption of Thursday games in recent years. Foster replied that the “union and the league is kind of the same thing” when it comes to this issue, which is a bit different than we’ve heard from those other players.
No matter Foster’s complaints (or those about the quality of the games, for that matter), the games aren’t going anywhere because of that revenue mentioned above. That’s all the more reason why there should be some discussion about expanded rosters or scheduling of bye weeks heading into Thursday nights to alleviate some of the health concerns.