There was a reason that optimism emerged from the owners meetings last week.  Simply put, commissioner Roger Goodell and the owners want to grow the pie.   From their perspective they are satisfying the fans appetite for more regular season games and less preseason games.  

Bob Kraft

"I think it's a win-win all around,"

Bob McNair

"I think we can figure out a way to make it work, and everybody will be happy."

Jerry Jones

“I think it’s good for everyone concerned, our fans our players. It’s a way to grow the pie and produce a better product. The players get a larger percentage as the pie grows.” 

As one can see, many owners have dollar bill signs light up in their eyes when asked about the issue.

However, take one look around the league and you will find a different tune being sung.  

Brian Dawkins

"From a dollars and cents [standpoint], I guess for some people that would make sense.  But from a physical, longevity, the way the season is right now, I'm not talking about me right now at 36, I'm talking about me at 29, 28, I know how I felt going into the postseason, licking my wounds, so to speak. . . ."

"If we have only two preseason games, guess who's going to have to play more in those two preseason games?"   "The starters.  So you're basically playing a 19-game schedule. . . .  On top of that, those free-agent guys who usually get those good looks in the last two preseason games, aren't going to get those looks."

 “You look at trainers' rooms as the season wears down as it is, they’re usually filled up. … Adding two more games to that, those injuries probably will be more severe and there will probably be more guys in there.”

Ray Lewis

"Eighteen games, you got to ask yourself, how many people are truly healthy for 18 games, so will you get your true football, will you get your real football?"  "It's a lot of football and I think if fans understood what we actually go through to play in December and January, I think a lot more people would fight with us."

"We're not machines, we're humans," Ravens future Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis has said. "After the first three, four months, your body feels a certain way. You've got to ask yourself how many people are truly healthy after 18 games. ... I don't think it's knowledgeable to make us play 18 games."

Peyton Manning

“There’s a lot of unknowns for [the] 2011 [season]. I do know that Jeff [Saturday] said that if there’s only two preseason games, he probably doesn’t make the team. He probably doesn’t get the chance to perform. Does Dominic Rhodes make our team as an undrafted free agent? Does Terrence Wilkins? If you go to two [preseason] games, my guess is that the starters are going to have to play more in each of those games. Does a guy that hasn’t gotten a lot of reps [in practice] get a chance to go out there and return a punt for a touchdown or make a one-handed catch? That’s the one thing that I’m not sure [league officials] have totally looked at. Think of how many great players throughout NFL history, and just on our team alone, have been undrafted free agents. I’m not sure if coaches can find out [about a player] in two [preseason] games. My guess is that you would lose some of that. And that would be a shame.”

Tom Brady

"I've taken part in several postseason runs where we have played 20 games. The long-term impact this game has on our bodies is well documented. Look no further than the players that came before we did. Each player today has to play three years in order to earn five years of post-career health care. Our Union has done a great job of raising the awareness on these issues and will make the right decision for us players, the game and the fans."

Drew Brees

"Guys are already beat up at the end of a season, let alone if you tack on two more games. It’s a lot more than adding two more games or getting two more paychecks. How is this going to affect our health or our longevity, our careers? There are a lot of things to take in to account; it’s not just about adding two more games and pay you two more paychecks. It takes a big toll on the body.”  

Asante Samuel

 "How does the league say they care about players health and then add more games to the schedule?? More games means more injuries. Right??"

"Just saying... seems that players are being told, not asked and I think $$$ should never go before health."

Dwight Freeney

"The season's long enough," "I'm serious. If you look at any team's injury report, that's all you need to look at. You can't finish the regular season without playing hurt. Anybody who plays the game is playing with some type of injury, and just hopefully it's not bad enough where they have to miss games. Let's not add to it, with two more games. Come on."

"They're not going to pay us more," "They will find a way around that. I don't like two more games. The season's long enough. And then, what are you talking about, the end of February, almost March until the season's over with? That's not good."

Troy Polamalu

"If they have 18 regular-season games, they should have guaranteed contracts," "I guarantee you that every player would say, 'Yeah, if you guarantee us contracts, we'll have a 20-game season.”

"Football is a sport unlike basketball or baseball, where if you have the talent you can play a long time," "Football is so tough on the human body you really can't take anything for granted."

T.J. Houshmandzadeh

"If you add two games, whatever you make they want to divide that further?" "If you're going to get paid to do it, I think guys will go along. But if it's the same (salary as for a 16-game season), I don't think so."

For the most part, NFL players are very concerned about their health and well-being.   However, is Houshmandzadeh correct?   Will players go along with it if they get paid?   Or do you believe the likes of Samuel who say health is more important?   

From this blogger's perspective, I find it hard to play skeptic with the players because at the end of the day they are the ones sacrificing their bodies for their teams, families, and fans.   A large part of me truly believes them when they talk about the daunting battle of attrition an extended season would be, but if history is any indication they all have a financial threshold.

We'll see how strongly they feel about the issue in another year's time when the owners dangle a larger carrot in front of their faces.