The NFL is updating it’s Thursday Night Football format, which will now allow teams to be featured on the broadcast more than once every season.
This is great for the viewer, as it could lead to better matchups late in the season, rather than two teams battling for draft position. However, it’s bad for players, who already struggle enough with quick turnarounds during midweek games. Doing so more than once a season is a player safety issue, and the NFL knows it.
Roger Goodell responded to Mahomes in his press conference, making it clear that he does take player safety into account.
“I don’t think we’re putting Amazon over our players…The data doesn’t show higher injury rate,” Goodell said. “I hear from players who also love the 10 days after a Thursday Night game. We have to try to balance all of it.”
If anyone should be the voice of the players, it ought to be Mahomes. As one of the highest-paid players in all of football, Mahomes puts his body on the line every week. He’s rarely outspoken on social media unless he truly has a bone to pick, and the Thursday Night Football lineup, as well as player safety, is right up his alley.
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle chimed in as well about the subject, saying that Mahomes made a good point.
