The NFL remains committed to playing games on Thursday nights. Some players like it, some players don’t.
Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway, whose team hosts Washington on Thursday night, doesn’t.
“I think you’re taking away from what you’re saying a little bit as far as player safety goes,” Greenway said, via Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “Trying to get yourself ready for a game in four days is difficult. I don’t care about what level you’re talking about.”
The league consistently points to the fact that the injury rate in Thursday games is no greater than it is in other games. This overlooks the difficulty of getting players ready to play with only four days, whether their injuries be significant or trivial.
Regardless, plenty of players like playing on Thursday because they get a mini-bye on the back end; just last week, Ravens receiver Torrey Smith made that point on PFT Live.
And the debate is irrelevant because the NFLPA has agreed to permit a full slate of Thursday games. Within the next couple of years, those Thursday games will generate significantly more revenue for the league and, in turn, for the players, when a chunk of the NFL Network package is likely sold to the highest bidder.