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The NFL owners' meeting in Phoenix, Arizona had many discussions about rule changes to the league. While some were approved, like the allowance for jerseys with the number 0 or the change about tripping becoming a personal foul, others were tabled for later discussions, such as a flexible Thursday Night Football.
Teams are now allowed to play two Thursday games in one season. In other words, they're now available for two short weeks, which is a concern for their health. But Mike Florio, the leading analyst for Pro Football Talk, has a bold prediction, he thinks the league will soon pivot to play games every day of the week. He said:
"There's been talking about this whole Thursday night flex. I think that's very real. I think that's going to happen sooner than later. I think sooner than later we're gonna have Tuesday night football, we're gonna have Wednesday night football. It's gonna be hopefully in my lifetime, a seven days a week primetime event."
He added:
"Every Sunday, during football season, I'm in a viewing room at NBC trying to watch nine games at once. And when I get a chance to just watch one game, I learned so much more. I understand so much more. So I would love to have football on every night of the week. It would be nice to have a night or two off like Friday and Saturday."
Why do NFL players hate Thursday Night Football?
Because their bodies are always hurt after a game due to the nature of the sport, so a full week before the next game can help them heal enough. But when you play Sunday and has to dress up again four days later, your body suffers.
Former All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman has voiced his displeasure with the league's idea of a full Thursday Night Football schedule in an article for The Players' Tribune:
"The whole idea of Thursday Night Football is terrible. It’s ludicrous. It’s hypocritical. It’s a poopfest. But allow me to elaborate. The NFL preaches player safety. The league says it wants to do everything in its power to protect its players. But when it comes down to it, it’s not the players that the NFL protects. It’s the Shield."
Ultimately, the decision to host a game every Thursday during the season is up to the money and not the players' safety, which is why Florio thinks the league will find a way to expand its schedule.
