The Seattle Seahawks will face off against the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday Night Football, and at least one Seahawk isn’t happy about it.
Speaking to reporters, All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman said that, “it’s rough” playing on only four days rest.
“Any time you play a football game and play another one a few days later, it’s going to be tough on the body,” Sherman continued, “but it’s just another of those things. Another one of those simple contradictions of the league, because they care about us.”
Sherman is widely regarded as one of the league’s most intelligent players. His comments reflect an extreme disconnect between the league’s declared commitment to improving player safety and its actual day-to-day practices, and he isn’t the first league star to speak out on the issue.
In 2014, Houston Texans running back Arian Foster said that he doesn’t “know one player that likes” the Thursday night games. “It’s just the league’s way to try to generate more revenue.”