10 July 2023 , 18:37
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers star Tristan Wirfs is the latest player to be against the NFL's decision to move to a 17-game season, hoping that they add an extra bye week before making further amendments.
In 2021, the NFL announced the decision to add an extra game to an already tough schedule - with teams playing every week for 16 weeks - with just one bye week mixed in at some point in the campaign.
And ever since that move, many have been of the belief that the NFL will eventually move to an 18-game season - with nine home and none away fixtures for each team.
The initial move was met with huge criticism for a number of big-name players in the league - with the demanding nature of the sport already making it an extremely tough one to get through injury free.
When asked on whether it makes a difference to the league on changing their schedule from 17 games to 16, Wirfs told the VikesVerified podcast : "Yes it does - there is definitely a difference. We need an extra bye week!"
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But the Buccaneers left tackle is not the only player to come out and criticise the NFL, with some of the league's biggest names having a few words of discontent too.
Tom Brady
Speaking on his “Let’s Go!” podcast that he hosts alongside sports announcer Jim Gray and Arizona Cardinals legend Larry Fitzgerald, Tom Brady did not hold back with his words on the change.
Speaking in 2021, Brady said: “I think it’s pointless. I thought it was a terrible decision. So I don’t like the fact that we’re playing a 17th game at all.
"I think sixteen is plenty. And, again, you’re eight games into the year and you’re not halfway through, so that’s kind of a little frustrating aspect. So whatever, I mean, we’ll play it but it's pointless."
Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady were both against the 17 game changeAaron Rodgers
Speaking on an ESPN podcast, Aaron Rodgers said: "I go back to the 17th game. The fact that it even got in there when – the guys that I talked to around the league – every meeting that was had before these negotiations got amped up, nobody wanted 17 games."
In a message he wrote on his social media pages, Rodgers wrote: "16 games to me, was never something to be negotiated. The owners made it clear that the 17th game is about paying the for ‘added’ benefits, and had nothing to do with positive feedback received about any extra risks involved with the added regular season game.
"Are we taking care of former players? What kind of additional player risks are we taking on? What are we getting in return for that? That’s the issue that I’ve had."
Richard Sherman
Speaking at a press conference in 2020, the former Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers cornerback said: "I don’t think it’s something players are interested in, honestly. And if that’s the point that the owners are negotiating on, then I think these negotiations are going to go a lot longer than anticipated.
"It’s always odd when you hear player safety is (the league's) biggest concern. They’re really standing up for player safety, player safety, player safety, but it seems like player safety has a price tag.
"Player safety up to the point of ‘Hey, 17 games makes us this much money, so we really don’t care how safe they are if you’re going to pay us this much money to play another game."
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