4 NFL Teams That Need to Rest Their Starters

A number of teams have clinched their postseason berths. While technicalities like seeding and which teams will hold home-field advantage are still yet to be determined, that doesn't mean that all of the league's top teams need to continue to play their starters in their two remaining games.

Here are four teams that would only benefit in the playoffs by resting their starting players.

Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4)

The Pittsburgh Steelers have already given quarterback Ben Roethlisberger time off these last two weeks, but that's only because he's suffering from a high ankle sprain that could jeopardize his team's chances in the playoffs if he takes the field in Weeks 16 and 17.

With the odds of the team taking over the AFC North division extremely slim but their postseason berth locked down, this injury-plagued team would only benefit from protecting their team by resting their starters.

A number of offensive linemen have been in and out of the game this year, wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders has been dealing with a knee problem and important defensive players, including Troy Polamalu, Lamaar Woodley and James Harrison, have missed games with myriad injuries this year

The Steelers are looking to reach the Super Bowl in back-to-back years. But with the specter of injury hanging over the team's head all season long, they'd be well-served to sit their starters in the remaining weeks of the season.

Green Bay Packers (13-1)

The Green Bay Packers won't get themselves a perfect regular season record after losing in Week 15 to the Kansas City Chiefs. They have their playoff berth locked up, and though they could still lose control of home-field advantage, it's time for the team to rest their starters.

With so much of the Packers' success resting on the shoulders of starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers, if he should be injured in his team's final two games, their odds of winning in the playoffs and reaching their second Super Bowl in as many years is in serious trouble.

Even though Rodgers has been kept relatively safe all season long, that doesn't mean he isn't in danger of suffering a serious injury in the final two weeks of the year. It's better to keep him—as well as other starters on both sides of the ball—on the bench to assure a healthy team headed into January.

New Orleans Saints (11-3)

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees is just 305 yards away from breaking Dan Marino's single-season passing yardage record.

While that's something he's likely to achieve this week, the Saints should consider sitting their starters after this Saturday.

The Saints have been comparatively injury-free in comparison to other teams around the league this year. That's a pretty good reason why New Orleans would be well-served to rest their starters.

New Orleans is an extremely dangerous team this year. With fresh, well-rested playmakers taking the field in January, they're even that much more likely to have a deep playoff run and seriously contend for the NFC's Super Bowl spot.

New England Patriots (11-3)

The Bill Belichick-led New England Patriots aren't a team generally known to rest their starters as the regular season comes to a close. However, with the AFC locked down, it would only benefit them to shelve quarterback Tom Brady and his cadre of elite receivers and tight ends in Week 17.

Brady, et al., are going to play in Week 16, with Brady in contention to break Dan Marino's single-season passing record and Belichick seeing little difference between Weeks 16 and 6.

However, the Patriots are in no danger of losing their No. 1 seed in the conference. Nor are they in danger of losing their home-field advantage. There's little to fight for in Week 17 except a near-guaranteed better record, but there's far more to fight for once the regular season comes to a close.

If the Patriots want to return to the Super Bowl—which they haven't done since 2007 despite consistently winning boatloads of games—they should consider giving their starters a rest. The healthier a team is, the better their postseason chances.