The NFL is just one week into its 2010 season, and yet the list of players already placed on injured reserve or out indefinitely is substantial. 

Packers star running back Ryan Grant is done for the year with torn ankle ligaments, Jets defensive tackle Kris Jenkins saw his season end due to a torn his ACL for the second consecutive season, Eagles quarterback Kevin Kolb is out indefinitely with a concussion and the Lions number one overall pick from 2009, quarterback Matthew Stafford, is out four to six weeks with an injured shoulder.  Oh yeah, and Colts Pro Bowl safety Bob Sanders is also out indefinitely with a torn bicep muscle.

And that’s just the big names. 

The Eagles, Giants Bears and Broncos all suffered injuries to key starters.  The week two NFL injury report might as well be named “The Walking Wounded.”  Fantasy owners everywhere are scrambling to find replacements even before the leaves have changed colors.  So what’s different this year?

While one factor remains constant – the league is filled with stronger and faster players, resulting in harder collisions – the other is a new phenomenon.  While NFL teams continue to play at least four preseason games each year, teams now do not play their key players as much (particularly in the last game before the regular season starts). 

This is a perfectly logical move – who wants to run the risk of a key starter being lost for the season in an exhibition game?  However, this decrease in game action has led to more injuries in week one, when players suddenly go full-force.  But there is a bigger problem looming.

Should the NFL owners approve Commissioner Roger Goodell’s proposal to extend the season to 18-games beginning in 2012, players would then have two less preseason games to get in shape, and two more regular season games.  That’s two more opportunities for players to endure more physical punishment.  While this also gives two more opportunities for both players and owners to make more money, it could be a recipe for disaster. 

Ironically, this increase in injuries so early in the season has actually given the NFL Players Association some leverage in their upcoming negotiations with the owners regarding the expiring collective bargaining agreement.

Two additional games may not seem like a lot, but it’s a 12.5% increase in both the amount of football played and the likelihood of additional injuries.  And let’s not forget the increased risk of future physical ailments and complications.  Remember the “Real Sports” piece on former Houston Oilers great Earl Campbell?

Look, I’d love to see additional football as much as the next fan.  But extending the season is not the right move.  An 18-game season would lead to extended rosters (i.e., more jobs) and higher salaries, but it is not worth the physical cost.  Don’t believe so?  Just see the NFLPA’s own research, which shows that in the past three years, an average of 423 players have been put on IR.

At this rate, expect that number to increase after 2010.

Used with permission of the author.

Chris Lardieri covers the Los Angeles Dodgers for Examiner.com and has written about Major League Baseball for Inside Edge, a scouting company that provides content to ESPN Insider and Yahoo Sports. He previously wrote for 1766, the Rutgers Alumni Magazine, and popular blog, ‘The Outer Loop’.  Be sure to follow Chris on Twitter for more MLB and sports observations.

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