DeMaurice Smith Responds to Richard Sherman's Thursday Night Football Comments

National Football League Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith stated Friday not all NFL players are against the Thursday Night Football package after Seattle Seahawks superstar Richard Sherman called it a "poopfest" on Tuesday.

Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk passed along remarks Smith made about the situation during an appearance on PFT Live. He noted the discussions he's had focused more on the ability to get players the necessary rest given the compact nature of the short-week schedule.

"The conversations vary and there are some teams where coaches give players a longer time off because of Thursday games," Smith said. "Those players seem not to mind Thursday nights so much. Other players complain about the short turnaround and the effects on their bodies."

Smith admitted there's a financial component involved in keeping the games, as well: "Let's be blunt: We also look at it as the revenue that's generated from the Thursday night package."

An estimated $450 million is generated by playing the midweek games, which means eliminating Thursday contests from the schedule would reduce each team's payroll by around $7 million, per Pro Football Talk.

The always outspoken Sherman made it clear Tuesday he's no fan of the short turnaround. He told Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com he'd only be 50 to 60 percent recovered from last week's game by the time he took the field Thursday night. 

"Poopfest. It's terrible," Sherman said. "We got home like 1 o'clock in the morning, something like that, on Monday, and then you've got to play again. Congratulations, NFL, you did it again. But they've been doing it all season, so I guess we're the last ones to get the middle finger."

The Seahawks scored a 24-3 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday to move their overall record to 9-4-1, good for third in the NFC. The veteran corner had two tackles and a pass defended.

Ultimately, it's difficult to dispute concerns about the level of competition for Thursday Night Football. A lack of preparation and recovery time usually leads to a sloppy game offensively. This week was no different with the sides putting up just 482 yards combined.

Giving up the $450 million television contract would be difficult for the rank and file, though. Sherman, who Spotrac notes is making about $14.8 million this season based on his salary and signing bonus, may not be affected, but those lower on the salary spectrum would get hurt with less money available.