Mike McCarthy Blames Uptick in NFL Injuries on 2011 CBA

Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy stated ahead of his team's Thursday night clash with the Chicago Bears that he believes a decrease in training time based on the standards set by the 2011 collective bargaining agreement has put NFL players at a greater risk of injury.

Mike Garafolo of NFL.com passed along McCarthy's comments on the subject after injuries to Eddie Lacy and James Starks have left his backfield in turmoil, a trend McCarthy said he has noticed around the league throughout the 2016 campaign.

"Today's NFL, man," McCarthy said. "These injury reports around the league are just outrageous. I don't know what the statistics look like. I don't follow all 32 teams. But it seems like every game we've been in this year, pretty much both sides have been like whew."

The Super Bowl-winning coach also provided his explanation for the perceived problem, discussing the limited amount of time teams get to spend with players under the CBA, per Garafolo:

"

I think it's clearly a reflection of the training part of it. People don't want to hear coaches say that, but how can you not be in tune to the fact you have a younger football league than pre-2011 and now you're spending five less weeks with the players? I mean, that's not the best formula. I think it's been proven since then.

"

Whether injuries are on the rise is unclear, though.

In December, John Clayton of ESPN reported the number of missed starts because of injuries was on pace to decrease during the 2015 season. But that statistic didn't account for reserve players, and there's no consistent standard for measuring the overall total.

In addition, the NFL has removed the "probable" label from the injury report this year. So in many cases, teams are likely listing players as "questionable" on the week's final report when they are still expected to play in the game.

Commissioner Roger Goodell said practice rules will be discussed during the next round of CBA talks, according to Garafolo. But his statement was regarding the league's quality of play rather than lingering concerns about injuries.

The next CBA discussions may reach a fever pitch earlier than expected, too. On Oct. 15, ESPN's Dan Graziano reported owners have already approached the NFL Players Association about a new deal, even though the current agreement runs through 2020, with an eye on more stadium credits.

Based on McCarthy's comments, it sounds like practice time could become one of the hot-button topics alongside the likes of Goodell's power in the disciplinary process if both sides get serious about coming to terms on an early extension.