The NFL schedules were revealed this week, and one Pittsburgh Steelers star was displeased, to say the least.
The Steelers are one of two teams that were given two Thursday Night Football assignments next season. Players largely dislike playing on short weeks, and Patrick Peterson is no exception.
Peterson discussed the schedule on the All Things Covered podcast on Saturday, where he sounded off on having to play two games on Thursday night this upcoming season.
“First of all, I thought it was a rumor when they said teams would be eligible for two Thursday Night Football games. My goodness, bro. They are like five weeks apart. It’s tough enough getting up for the first Thursday night game. I get it; they want to find ways to get ball on TV. But you have to think about our bodies, man, especially with me being in year 13. My body don’t recover like it used to. To have two Thursday Night Football games is a bit bizarre.”
The San Francisco 49ers are the other team playing on TNF twice this coming season. This could undoubtedly hinder their chances of potentially returning to the NFC Championship Game like they did last season.
The rule change received plenty of criticism at the time from players. One short-week game per season puts the players’ health in jeopardy. A second one for these two teams seems downright negligent toward their well-being.
Regardless, the 49ers and Steelers will be the guinea pigs in the NFL’s new rule change next season.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.