Joe Burrow is willing to play an 18-game regular season, but the Cincinnati Bengals’ star quarterback wants to change the current format before that happens. He’s worried about players getting enough rest during a longer season.
Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow should worry about a longer season
Burrow has reason to worry about a longer season. The more games played, the more likely a player will suffer injury. Burrow has dealt with numerous injuries since his college days, and he said at OTAs this spring that his season-ending injury last season had him question his “football mortality.”
Burrow wants more rest breaks
One would think Burrow would oppose the 18-game regular season. However, during an interview on Pardon My Take, Burrow said he’d be open to playing more games, but the league would need to give players more rest in the season. Burrow suggested the NFL could put a Pro Bowl break in the middle of the season.
“Gotta have two bye weeks. I think it would be cool to do a normal bye week schedule that it is now,” Burrow said.
“Have it spread out, but then, like Week 13, do the Pro Bowl break. Where you are doing the 7-on-7 and all the skills challenges, like the NBA does, because I think that would get more ratings for the Pro Bowl. And then it would also give everyone that bye week going into the last six weeks of the year.”
A Super Bowl the day before a holiday?
PMT host Big Cat noted the extra bye in the 18-game regular season format would mean the Super Bowl would fall on the Sunday before President’s Day. Fans would receive an extra treat from the NFL by getting to use President’s Day as a freebie hangover day instead of calling into work and using a sick day.
Burrow’s suggestion makes sense. Whether players like it or not, the league will eventually have 18 games.
As it expands, the league will have to navigate a few changes in the football calendar. The College Football Playoffs are expanding, so pushing the NFL playoffs deeper into the winter will be better for everybody.
Except maybe not the players.
