NFL Preseason games have recently started to trend far less important and impactful. Whether it is starters playing less, games being called early, or the lack of offense (defenses tend to dominate in preseason games), the reality is fans and the media just aren’t ‘all in’ anymore.
Players Trying Out is Very Limited
Sure, the preseason games are the Super Bowl for a few players on the bubble of making a 53-man roster. But in reality, this is a very short list of players. On a typical roster of 90 going into the preseason games, about 45 already have a secure spot on the team, leaving about 45 players to compete for a handful of positions, where even if they make it, they probably won’t see the field much during the season.
Before the media and social media covered every player and every angle of the NFL, fans thought that more players had a real shot. However, as access has become more readily available, fans realize that preseason games don’t give many players their big opportunity.
Is that true for everyone? Of course not. But for most players, the best-case scenario is a practice squad spot.
There are More Football Options
Whether it is College Football going later in the year, the UFL, or more college football spring games, there are more football options year-round. Of course, that won’t make any difference once Week 1 comes around, but instead of going from the second week in February until early August with almost no football coverage, now there are more options.
Most big-name college football teams broadcast their spring game. The UFL, which does have quite a few players, makes NFL rosters in the spring and gives fans something to watch. Finally, with social media, fans get almost daily highlights of their team during spring and fall team camps.
With so much coverage, preseason games don’t carry the same weight as they once did.
Starters Don’t Play Anymore
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The preseason was never about the starters playing an entire game to tune up for the season. But starters still played, at least a good portion. Ten years ago, Aaron Rodgers, playing for the Green Bay Packers, took nearly 40% of the preseason snaps. This year, for the Jets, Rodgers may see two or three series where defenders won’t be allowed even to tackle him.
So far, in the three games we’ve gotten, Drake Maye has thrown three passes. That is the list of projected starting quarterbacks who have thrown passes among the six teams that have played. There are similar numbers for receivers, running backs, and defensive starters.
Essentially, fans are watching many players they don’t know and probably won’t make the team wear their favorite team’s uniform. Why get invested in those players?
17th Game Creates More Flexibility
When the NFL implemented a 17th game ahead of the 2021 season, regular season games suddenly had a little bit more flexibility. Sure, it’s only one additional game, but when you consider that the Wildcard almost always comes down to a single game for three to four teams in the AFC and NFC, having that extra game can be a huge difference maker.
It seems like with the 17th game, teams are now more okay with taking an early season loss as they are breaking in a new quarterback or system or trying to find team chemistry. In a way, the 17th game takes the place of a preseason game, except all the starters play for the entire game. The winner of this extra game gets a boost early to their record, while the loser takes an acceptable loss if it means getting better as a team.
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