Patrick Mahomes and Darius Slay lead backlash against NFL allowing teams to play on TNF twice
Several NFL teams could appear twice on Thursday Night Football during the 2023 season, following several rule changes on Tuesday, as players and fans revolted against league executives on social media, accusing them of ignoring the safety of the players.
NFL business and media director Brian Rolapp revealed that all 32 team owners in the league have agreed to the schedule adjustment that will allow some teams to play on TNF twice in a single season, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. .
Rolapp was also quick to share that it’s “certainly possible” that some teams won’t play on Thursdays once the changes take effect.
It’s fair to say that Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes wasn’t behind the new rule, tweeting a “shaking his head” emoji in response to the news breaking.
NFL owners backed the rule that would allow teams to play two Thursdays in short weeks on Monday. That means the NFL is now technically allowed to schedule teams to play Thursday nights after a weekend game twice within the season.
Some NFL teams may have to play Thursday Night Football twice next season, including the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
The NFL on Tuesday offered a proposal for the rule change, spearheaded by Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Two-time Super Bowl champion and Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes isn’t thrilled with the new rule
Whether the scheduling change will go through remains to be seen, as many fear for the safety of the players.
Teams could face that situation twice over the next season. In the past, the 32 teams could only play one game on Thursday night.
Security becomes an issue as players will have less time to recover between short weeks.
‘Worst NFL news in a long time. Thursday night football is the worst. one NFL fan tweeted after hearing about the league’s latest and newest rule change proposal, before asking the NFL players association if ‘y’all a fan of this?’
“Just ditch the Thursday night football,” another grill fan shared. “I prefer to watch football on Tuesday or Wednesday nights with a bye after.”
‘Another Thursday night football game for the teams, but no 2nd bye…nevertheless, the NFL cares about “player safety,” another user wrote.
‘The NFL now allows teams to have TWO Thursday Night Football games per year. A league that continually says it’s about improving player safety continues to put the health of its players at risk. Playing 1 game on only 3 days off is not smart. Playing 2 is RIDICULOUS,’ former Washington Commanders QB Robert Griffin III said on Twitter.
‘Hell no…we need to get that shit off!’ wrote cornerback Darius Slay of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Sports Illustrated NFL writer Matt Verderame said: “TNF’s decision to have some (see: top) teams play multiple games on Thursdays is really shortsighted. That’s a great way to hurt your standout players and dilute the playoffs.’
NFL fans criticized the league’s decision to offer teams less recovery time between games, especially if they have to play on Sunday and Thursday of the same week, due to the new rule.
‘For the NFL to want teams to play two TNF games is very disgusting. Do you want good teams in prime time, but are you willing to risk your health to do so? Mmmk. #playersafety,” NFL national analyst Lindsey Ok said on Twitter. ‘
“Further proof that the NFL doesn’t care one bit about player safety or anything the players want. Getting rid of Thursday Night Football entirely would be a better idea,” wrote Andrew Schnittker, a sportswriter from Wilson, North Carolina.
“Thursday night football other than Thanksgiving is a bad product and bad for player safety,” one fan noted on Twitter, before another added: “Thursday football at night it’s one of the worst displays of professional football.”
‘Mofos tired and sore from playing 4 days ago. Even a week of recovery is hardly enough.
“NFL teams having two Thursday Night Football games per season is a terrible idea,” a different fan shared on social media.
Fans and an NFL player, Philadelphia’s Darius Slay, expressed their discontent on social media after news of the NFL’s rule change broke.
Rolapp offered some hope to those who feel strongly against the rule change, saying the proposal to allow teams to drop in and out of TNF has been on the table until May.
The main reason behind pushing to pass the flex plan would be to get rid of Thursday night games between two teams with losing records. If the plan is agreed upon, then the league could shift games scheduled for Sunday afternoons to Thursday night prime time slots.
Only games between weeks 14 and 17 are eligible for the change, and a 15-day notice must be submitted.
While many are in favor of passing the flexible scheduling proposal, there are reasons behind the potential for landlords to reject the new rule. NFL coaches aren’t the biggest fans of last-minute time changes, especially if the season has already started.
There are also concerns regarding fans who purchase game tickets well in advance, as the possibility of flexible scheduling may make them less inclined to purchase seats well in advance of the game they plan to attend.
For a proposal to pass, 24 of the NFL’s 32 owners must vote in favor of the rule change, meaning it must receive 75 percent of the vote.
Given the NFL’s tendency to prioritize revenue, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the owners approved the proposal, even if it goes against the wishes of coaches, players and fans.