Never one to mince words, Green Bay Packers quarterback and mustache legend Aaron Rodgers let his disdain for the NFL's preseason be known when he spoke to the media following wide receiver Jordy Nelson's devastating ACL tear against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
"It's difficult to lose a guy like that in a meaningless game," Rodgers told reporters.
But he wasn't done there. As reporters prodded him further on whether guys would still be ready for the regular season without four preseason games, Rodgers said they would, mentioning that he doesn't "need much time" to get ready for the games that count. When asked if he thought the preseason would ever be shortened, he gave an interesting response.
"We’ll see. A lot would have to happen. Fans are paying close to full-price tickets, so. You know, it’s not just a coaches and players decision," Rodgers said.
The NFL almost prints its own money at this point, partially because season ticket holders are paying full price for preseason games that are a required part of their season ticket package. Rodgers chose his words carefully here, but he references how money plays into the whole equation, which is pretty bold for one of the faces of the NFL.
It seems like every single year, a major part of a football team goes down with a serious injury in the preseason. I'll never forget peak Michael Vick breaking his fibula in 2003. Now with guys like Arian Foster, Kevin White, Kelvin Benjamin and now Nelson all scheduled to miss a substantial amount of time because of preseason injuries, it's hard not to agree with Rodgers here.
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[Via Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel]
