Cowboys Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman has revealed that he thinks the current offseason programs could be what is leading to so many players getting injured.
The NFL offseason has shifted drastically from what it used to be, and former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and Hall of Famer Troy Aikman thinks it is detrimental to current-day players.
We know that due to CBA agreements, teams and coaches are only allowed to have access to their players for a limited time during the offseason.
This continues when OTAs and training camp roll around, with teams only able to have a certain number of padded practices.
So there isn't much time for coaches to get done what they need to.
And for Aikman, the current-day offseason program doesn't prepare players for the rigors of NFL football, but that's due to the way the NFL world is going.
“I think they only wear pads one day a week or one time a day, and they have a walk-through, but it’s pretty player-friendly and favorable,” Aikman said on Rodeo Time podcast . “Whenever they negotiate the CBA, the owners tend to always win on the financial side of things.
"Then the players say, ‘Well, all right, then we’re not gonna practice as long, or we’re not gonna practice as often.’ So, then they tend to get concessions when it comes to how much time they’re actually at facilities."
So with the players not being pushed physically as they are on gameday, it could be a big reason why we see so many injuries happen during the season.
Well, that's the thought, anyway.
And if Troy thinks it's a problem, then it's a problem.
"A lot of soft tissue injuries, a lot of muscle pulls, they’re just not able to train the way that we once did, they’re not able to callous their bodies as easily," Aikman added.
"Not that they’re not training hard and all that, but it’s different training on your own as opposed to being on the football field practicing football movements.”
Even years ago, in a post-Aikman era, Cowboys summers were labeled "Camp Cupcake'' because things were too "soft.''
We are in a day and age where players are protected, rightly or wrongly, from doing too much in the offseason.
But as we know, there is always a give and take.
Yes, players might not be properly ready for football when the season begins, hence the injuries Aikman mentioned, but the players haven't been put through the strenuous tasks players of Troy's era were.
Will that change? I don't believe so.
But Troy could be onto something here, and if these injuries keep happening, then maybe this might need to be looked at by those making the key decisions.