Send More Troops

As a fan of the NFL, I would love to see 18 regular season games, but a recent report on player injuries does not support it.

The report, released by the NFL Player's Association does not paint a pretty picture. Injuries are up from last year, with an average of 3.7 per team each week compared to 3.2 last year. The percentage of players injured (63%) increased from the 2002-2009 average of 59%.

Perhaps the worst number shows that 13% of the players end up on Injured Reserved, compared to 10% for the previous reporting period.

Owners will say that many of the players on IR could have returned if the rules were different. Some teams try to hide younger players on their roster by amplifying the extent of their injuries.

No matter how you analyze it, the NFL has an injury problem that they are reluctant to talk about or address. The owners keep bringing in more players off the street to take their place. There are many hungry players out there who are willing to mangle their bodies for a roster spot.

NFL owners are like old-time generals who are willing to pour more troops into the battle front no matter the size of the casualty count.