With speculation circulating that the NFL wants to have more games on weekdays, San Francisco 49ers superstar George Kittle recently explained the “car accident” players go through each week that makes rest and recovery extremely important for NFL athletes.
It is well understood by fans of football, that it is one of the most physical and brutal sports on Earth. That fact only gets more serious the higher up in level football players reach. As the athletes get strong and faster, the intensity of the impact on brains and bodies from hits increases exponentially.
It is a major part of why former NFL players often have far more difficult lives after their careers are over as they get the receipt for years of playing in such a savage sport.
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As the NFL dominates the American sports landscape, the league has gone about trying to expand on that power. Along with finding ways to have major happenings occur throughout the year, the NFL has also broadened its schedule. Going from just games on Sunday to Saturday, and now to Thursday.
In recent years, many around the sport have expressed a belief the league will end up having games on Tuesday and Wednesday too. Under such a scenario it would mean less recovery time for athletes, and that seems like a very bad idea considering what they endure every time they suit up for a game.
On a recent appearance on “This Past Weekend with Theo Von.” San Francisco 49ers Pro Bowler George Kittle explained how punishing the sport is on his body, and the importance of the days after in just getting back to feeling normal.
“I’m in multiple car accidents every Sunday. You end up, for example, with a hyperextended knee, something that’s going to be there for several weeks or you’re dealing with other things; you’re always in these car accidents.”
“On Mondays, I have to move, otherwise you get very stiff and it hurts more. Tuesdays are very hard, especially if we’re traveling back from another city. Thursday through Friday is when I start to feel like me again and it gets worse as the season goes on. If I’m not playing, I’m recovering.”
– George Kittle
It’s scary to think that the league has many of its athletes playing in games well before they can be as close to healthy as they can be in such a brutal game on Thursdays.