For Cam Heyward and the Pittsburgh Steelers, all they can do is play the schedule handed to them each May. The focus is on beating the Kansas City Chiefs Wednesday, breaking this two-game losing skid, and getting back to the team’s winning ways ahead of the playoffs. But once the season ends, there needs to be an earnest conversation about the NFL forcing teams like the Steelers to play three games in 11 days, especially so late in the season when bodies are already tired.
Speaking to reporters Monday, Heyward shared his thoughts on the NFL’s desire to put the product above the players.
“It’s definitely a concern,” he said via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor about the tight schedule. “It’s a [player’s union] thing as well as the NFL thing. You don’t want to mess up the product, but we’ve been saying this since we got Thursday night games. It’s not easy.”
He followed by asking what the byproduct of the tight schedule does “to the players.”
A voice like Heyward’s, a veteran and the Steelers’ head player representative for the NFL union, carries plenty of weight. The league has looked to expand its coverage to every date and every venue. Whether that’s playing a Friday game in Brazil, expanding international games in location and volume, and deciding to play on Christmas Day even after initially committing not to before doubling-back, it creates revenue for the league but stress on teams and players.
Wednesday’s game against the Chiefs will be the Steelers’ third in 11 days. They played Sunday, Dec. 15 at the Philadelphia Eagles before travelling to Baltimore and facing the Ravens six days later. They immediately flew home and started preparing for the Chiefs, hosting them 48 hours from now. In fact, Mike Tomlin began preparing for the Chiefs before even the Baltimore game in an effort to get ready for QB Patrick Mahomes and company on a short week.
It’s fair to question if it’s sustainable for players, especially during a stretch run where they are already feeling the weight of a long season that began with training camp in July. Heyward thinks the NFL should adjust.
“It would be better if we had a bye week before a Wednesday game,” he said via Pryor when asked if the league should implement a second bye week. “We just got done playing Saturday, but I can’t cry about it.”
An additional bye has been discussed and expected when the league eventually moves to an 18-game schedule. But considering it for a 17-game slate is a worthwhile conversation. A second bye week would give the league flexibility to give teams off prior to a Thursday night game or perhaps before or after an international contest. With just one bye, the league’s options are limited.
Still, none of these concerns are new and teams playing three games in 11 days isn’t a novel concept. It’s happened before and the Steelers aren’t the only ones in that boat this season. The Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, and Houston Texans all join them. When the league can make extra money, it will do it, and the NFL is not going to change course. It creates an uphill battle for players like Heyward, especially knowing the CBA doesn’t expire until the end of the decade.
