NFL Preseason: Do We Really Need It?

Back in the day, the NFL preseason was crucial. Players came to training camp out of shape, due to inactivity, other jobs, etc. The teams hadn't been together for several months, and the preseason was needed to kick off the rust.

The NFL wanted a quality product, and that's where the preseason came in. It got everyone back into the flow of the game, so that the NFL could put out a watchable slate of games in the early weeks of the regular season.

However, players don't need the preseason anymore. Football is now a yearlong commitment, and the players spend every waking minute studying film, lifting weights, and playing the game. Every player is a physical specimen; they don't need the preseason to warm up because they never cool down.

And yet, the NFL continues to schedule preseason games. Sure, it's great for marketing, because they can set up games in China, Japan, Nepal, and Sierra Leone, but for players and fans, it's downright frustrating.

Both worry about injury to key players, and the worries are not unfounded. Injuries happen in sports, but when they happen in a meaningless game, people get incensed. Whole seasons can be ruined in the preseason.

The least the NFL could do is cut down the preseason schedule from four to one or two. Better yet, they could just allow teams to set up simulated scrimmages against other teams. This would cut down on the contact and get us to a quicker start to the regular season.

Most starters don't even play in the preseason anyway, so it certainly doesn't enthrall fans. They are what bring in the cash, so why does the NFL keep the games going?

I call upon Roger Goodell to consider the value of preseason games, and he won't have to think hard to come up the answer. Get rid of those games Roger, because they don't benefit anybody.