The Injury Plagued Chaotic Week That Was The NFL.

It's bad enough fans have to pay, excuse me. choose to pay "full price" for the games themselves, then to absorb the low quality of the product expected doubles the heartache.

Preseason football in the NFL is not pretty by any standards whether it be the casual viewer or the seasoned vet. If there is anyone left alive that has any expectations above a 3 out of 10 performance rating, you should move on to washer tossing as an Olympic sport and get out from in front of the tv. We are trying to watch the movie.

Part of the NFL Players CBA (collective bargaining agreement) was to limit, and in some cases eliminate, contact during the full 3 plus weeks of spring training as too "avoid unnecessary injuries" in the regular season. Many inside and outside the league believe it is those exact mandates that are "causing" the hundreds of preseason and early season injuries that have grown dramatically over the last 5 years.

Case in point:

East Texas hero-KeKe Coutee of the Houston Texans will miss games threatening his chance at making the cut after an ankle injury in week 1.Broncos RB Theo Reddick out 6 weeks with shoulder separation. Lions WR Jermaine Kearse could miss the entire season with a broken left leg. Carolina lost star QB Cam Newton for at the minimum 3 weeks with a possible high ankle sprain, all in the first 2 weeks of play. Sad part is those are less than 20% of the total injuries from that same time period.

Just this week alone, the Lions lost 2 of their last 3 1st round selections in Frank Ragnow, Jarrod Davis and Austin Bryant to significant injuries, Colts franchise QB Andrew Luck abruptly and shockingly to some, retired citing the constant uncertainty with his broken bodies ability to perform at his standard. All total, NFL teams are missing a staggering 154 players either injured, on the PUP list, or holding out with a majority of those injuries received in the last 17 days. The Cowboys have 11 players listed as injured or unable to perform and the Texans are listing 10 injured or unable to perform.

Questions will continue to loom whether it is safe, logical, or financially advantageous to continue a 4 game preseason schedule if this trend continues to hamper the league.

This Thursday will bring a full 16 game slate to end the 2019 preseason. Watch closely to see if coaches limit playing time for their starters even more with the chances of injury seemingly increasing by the day with every practice. Regular season begins for the Dallas Cowboys Sunday  Sept. 8th at home against the Giants while the Texans of Houston will play the early Monday Night Football game at New Orleans.