Why eliminating Thursday football will not solve the NFL injury crisis
Unless it’s Thanksgiving, Thursday is often not the day most people attribute to football. That, however, does not stop the NFL from broadcasting Thursday Night Football throughout the season.
Thursday Night Football, since 2007, has been much maligned by fans for the poor attendance and overall bad football. As the season goes on, viewers note that the play on the field seems to get worse, with the obligatory Titans vs. Jaguars game being a classic matchup of this terrible football.
Thursday Night Football has also been the center of controversy over a seemingly large spike in injuries, in part because of the short rest from playing on the prior Sunday. Recent injuries to stars like Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes only amplifies the concern for the safety on Thursdays.
But, do the numbers back up everyone’s feelings?
A recent survey by Dr. Hayden P. Baker of the University of Chicago found that injury rates on Thursday night games are actually considerably lower. The survey was based on a sample of Thursday night games and weekend games (Saturday, Sunday and Monday) from 2012 to 2017.
JJ Watt in 2016 being carried off with an injury
It found that there is about a 10 to 15 percent decrease of injury rates on Thursdays. While the injury rates are statistically lower, the players do not believe the short period of rest is ideal.
In 2016, then-Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman wrote an article in The Players’ Tribune about how much he hated playing the Thursday games. “Thursday Night Football is just another example of the NFL’s hypocrisy: the league will continue a practice that diminishes the on-field product and endangers its players, but as long as the dollars keep rolling in, it couldn’t care less,” Sherman said in the article.
He also referenced how some of the NFL’s biggest stars were getting hurt on a primetime, national stage, which did not seem like a great scenario for the league. He specifically brought up how the Texans’ star defensive end JJ Watt hurt his already ailing back in a Thursday night game. Now, the recent injury to Mahomes once again puts the spotlight on these injuries.
Richard Sherman in 2016, when he was on the Seahawks
While the statistics show that the injuries rates are lower on Thursdays, outspoken players like Richard Sherman and others are more than willing to give up the Thursday game. With an increased effort from the NFL to curb injuries in recent years, eliminating Thursday Night Football would make players more comfortable and may create a better health environment on a weekly basis.
However, with studies showing no increased rate of injuries, it does not seem like the NFL will be disbanding Thursday Night Football anytime soon.
Thursday Night Football will remain a point of contention for fans and analysts for years to come. It will take more than eliminating one extra game on the TV schedule to fully fix the injury problem the NFL faces today.
