Childish NFL Fears Cheat the Fans

[Harry]

The NFL continues to joust with windmills with their antiquated IR policy. The fear of teams stashing players on the IR has long prevented teams from putting their best players on the field. The NFL is the only major sport that regularly, needlessly disqualifies players for the entire season because of injuries. Sure they've amended the policy to let one player return, but the continuing policy still cheats fans from seeing the best players on the field. It is especially unfortunate because NFL players typically have the shortest careers. So fans are often cheated out of seeing their favorite players despite paying often exorbitantly high prices per game for seats or video access.

Since injury to players is random this policy has also often prevented the best teams from making the playoffs. It also forces teams to play with reduced rosters to keep available players with short trem injuries. Beyond this resulting in inferior play, the chance of injury of active players increases as rotations are shortened due to the simple lack of bodies and tired players must endure more snaps. This also often forces teams to use players with minor injuries that sometimes become more significant due to aggravation. There is no need to expose players to this risk.

All the leagues limit the number of injured players a team can replace without disqualifying the injured player for the season. There is scant evidence abuse of this policy is a typical occurrence. Outside of hockey, no major sport has the number of significant injuries football has. With modern therapy paths injuries that once commonly disable a player for 9 months can be rehabbed in half that time. The NFL is living in the past and needs to wake up!

 

[football karma]

this is spot on Harry

the IR rules came pre salary cap

the salary cap makes IR abuse almost obsolete

I think going to a baseball like system: the 4 week IR / 10 week IR would be better

 

[kerouac9]

Isn't this the point of the 8-10 inactive players each week? Those guys are usually your walking wounded at the end of the year. The Cards could easily stash Chris Johnson there week after week without suffering a tremendous loss.

 

[Cardiac]

The NFL continues to joust with windmills with their antiquated IR policy. The fear of teams stashing players on the IR has long prevented teams from putting their best players on the field. The NFL is the only major sport that regularly, needlessly disqualifies players for the entire season because of injuries. Sure they've amended the policy to let one player return, but the continuing policy still cheats fans from seeing the best players on the field. It is especially unfortunate because NFL players typically have the shortest careers. So fans are often cheated out of seeing their favorite players despite paying often exorbitantly high prices per game for seats or video access.

Since injury to players is random this policy has also often prevented the best teams from making the playoffs. It also forces teams to play with reduced rosters to keep available players with short trem injuries. Beyond this resulting in inferior play, the chance of injury of active players increases as rotations are shortened due to the simple lack of bodies and tired players must endure more snaps. This also often forces teams to use players with minor injuries that sometimes become more significant due to aggravation. There is no need to expose players to this risk.

All the leagues limit the number of injured players a team can replace without disqualifying the injured player for the season. There is scant evidence abuse of this policy is a typical occurrence. Outside of hockey, no major sport has the number of significant injuries football has. With modern therapy paths injuries that once commonly disable a player for 9 months can be rehabbed in half that time. The NFL is living in the past and needs to wake up!

Fully agree Harry and have wondered why the NFL has this silly rule. It has to be $$$ based but they are diminishing their product which at this point might speak to some of the ratings drop that they are experiencing.

 

[Hollywood]

Isn't this the point of the 8-10 inactive players each week? Those guys are usually your walking wounded at the end of the year. The Cards could easily stash Chris Johnson there week after week without suffering a tremendous loss.

This was my thought.

 

[Harry]

If the inactive list could be used that way why would a team ever put a player on IR. The inactives are players you keep to cover temporary injuries or the temporarily injured. When at game time the injured are well enough to play, you make the depth inactive. If you fill that group with people who can't play a team has too little depth. You also need those depth players to fill out units in practice. Injured players, like CJ are of no value in practice.

 

[kerouac9]

If the inactive list could be used that way why would a team ever put a player on IR. The inactives are players you keep to cover temporary injuries or the temporarily injured. When at game time the injured are well enough to play, you make the depth inactive. If you fill that group with people who can't play a team has too little depth. You also need those depth players to fill out units in practice. Injured players, like CJ are of no value in practice.

Because some players really are done for the season, but you can't cut them under the CBA (and don't want to release their contract.

You have a practice squad and inactive list for substitutes and practice players. I'm not really sure what problem you're solving for that these two items don't already take care of.

 

[Harry]

Sometimes they do listen.


http://www.profootballrumors.com/2016/10/nfl-discussing-change-to-irreturn-rule

 

[Reddog]

Wonder if the NFLPA would be for this? Their players get paid and are able to get fully healed. I guess it only works that way for certain players.