Coach Jim Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens things the NFL should reconsider the schedule of the preseason games. Although he believes preseason games serve an important purpose, these also come with a risk of players getting injured.
The NFL is currently at Week 4 of the preseason. Just like in the regular season, players take offseason games very seriously. For the league and the teams, preseason games serve as the main stage where they can practice and hone the skills of players before entering the regular matches.
However, these games also come with their own set of risks. For instance, last weekend, quarterback Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys injured his back during a game, according to NFL.com.
Even though teams are reserving their main players for the regular games, the preseason is still a dangerous period for athletes since injuries here could force them to miss out playing the rest of the season.
For Harbaugh, he believes the league should be able to work out the schedule of the preseason games to minimize the danger they pose to players.
"I know the league and the Players Association is working very hard and trying to figure out ideas to work out the preseason," he told the Baltimore Sun. "These are big, fast, strong men running out there. It's not 25 years ago... It's not the 70s anymore. These guys playing in these games - it's tough - and they're not meaningful games."
"They are important to get better, and they improve us," he added. "But we football coaches can find ways to get our guys ready and get our players evaluated without the kind of risk that a game necessarily entails."
One solution that Harbaugh came up with is shortening the schedule of the preseason or holding lesser games before the regular season begins. Terrell Suggs, the linebacker for the Ravens, echoed his coach's sentiments and said that the league should enforce fewer games during the preseason.
"Anytime you line up on a football field and risk getting hurt, it's out there," he said. "Truth be told, we need some of these games, just maybe not four; maybe three, maybe two. But we do need some of them."
