Doug Baldwin did not mince words regarding his thoughts about “Thursday Night Football” following his Seattle Seahawks’ 22-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
After the Seahawks suffered multiple injuries in their win, including a serious one to Richard Sherman, Baldwin said Thursday night games should be “illegal.”
Doug Baldwin: "Thursday night football should be illegal." #Seahawks pic.twitter.com/bBdKDqKzSV
— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) November 10, 2017
“This s— is not OK. You can quote me on that,” Baldwin said via The Tacoma News Tribune’s Gregg Bell. “It HAS to change.”
Baldwin played through a quad injury and had five catches for 95 yards in the game. He wasn’t the only Seahawks player critical of the Thursday night game, which only allows three days of healing for players before they’re asked to play again.
Linebacker Bobby Wagner said it’s “extremely tough” to play just days after a previous game.
Bobby Wagner has a message for @NFL scheduling Thursday night games. #Seahawks pic.twitter.com/GdTN3SB2TD
— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) November 10, 2017
“It’s extremely tough. You look at the game you see guys dropping down on both sides with serious injuries, minor injuries. We play a very physical game, physical sport. To play on Sunday and ask us to turn around and have our bodies OK on that Thursday is tough for us to do. I hope the league is watching and will look at it,” said Wagner.
Wagner even suggested potentially having a bye week before the Thursday night game if the league wants to keep it.
In addition to Sherman, Shaquill Griffin, Russell Wilson, Frank Clark, Duane Brown, C.J. Prosise and Jarran Reed were among the Seahawks to experience injuries of varying degree during the game.
Thursday night games are often sloppy, one-sided blowouts featuring injuries. The product is not as good as it is on Sundays or Mondays, and the short rest is undoubtedly the reason why. The league should make changes.
