The Chiefs are in the most brutal stretch of their schedule, playing three games in 11 days just ahead of the postseason while dealing with a long list of injuries. It’s no secret that this was poor planning by the NFL and new WR DeAndre Hopkins expressed his displeasure about the situation.
Speaking to the media on Thursday before facing the Texans on Saturday, Hopkins called on the league to evaluate the decision moving forward. If the NFL actually cares about player safety like it pretends to, there is no excuse for this schedule.
Hopkins isn’t the only Chiefs player who is frustrated, especially because it’s obvious that the league just wanted to put the Chiefs in as many national games as possible. Money talks – the NFL always listens.
Chiefs Active TE Peyton Hendershot to Return From IR
“I think the league should definitely do something about that,” Hopkins said when asked about the stretch. “As they preach player safety, I don’t think this is the best situation for any team. I think the league should review that after the season.”
The NFL’s decision would’ve made sense if the Chiefs had a late-season bye. Instead, their bye week was in Week 6, over two months ago at this point. Kansas City has been riddled with the injury bug, notably suffering a major Patrick Mahomes scare. Luckily, Mahomes will play but even still, that doesn’t excuse the poor process by a league known for disregarding the health of its players.
Throw in the fact that the Chiefs have played more games than any other team in the last five years thanks to their deep playoff runs, and you have a precarious situation that cannot be repeated.
Frankly, it doesn’t even make sense from the NFL’s perspective. The Chiefs are the league’s biggest draw. They’re trying to become the first team in history to win three straight Super Bowls, an obvious storyline that the NFL would benefit from.
Instead of helping Kansas City out like so many opposing fans pretend it does, the NFL put the Chiefs in the worst position possible. No one wants to see the best team’s best players get hurt, so why would the league put these guys in harm’s way?
Regardless, the Chiefs are ready to play on focused on the contest, though all fans are nervously hoping that no further injuries occur.
