Exhibition games have been a part of football since its inception. When the NFL was formed, teams would travel to small towns in their area to play against local colleges or other amateur teams.
Those games eventually evolved into the NFL preseason. In the early years of the Super Bowl era, teams played six preseason games, but the number of tryouts has declined over time. The preseason was shortened to four games when the league expanded to 16 regular season games in 1978, and then to three games when another regular season game was added to the schedule in 2021.
With the preseason almost dying out, some coaches have already done away with it for their starting lineups. The preseason has been a controversial topic for many years. Some coaches hold the philosophy that playing time is valuable in preparing their core players for the regular season. Others prefer a more conservative approach by giving their veterans a complete rest to avoid unnecessary injuries in a meaningless game.
Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni has made his stance on the issue clear this preseason. No player on the Eagles’ starting offensive line received a single snap during the team’s three preseason games.
After Philadelphia’s 26-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in their final preseason game on Saturday, Sirianni was asked about the decision to rest his starting players.
“Again, it’s always about taking everything into account with the number of reps,” Sirianni said. “I would say this week – we didn’t have a joint practice this week, but we had two intra-team practices that were scrimmages. And again, everything is live up front. The only thing that’s not live is the tackling on the ground. So the receivers are live, except they’re not being tackled. Everything is completely live. And so we felt like the work we did in the joint practice against the Patriots, the intra-team practices we had in the stadium before our first preseason games, and then the two intra-team practices, you know, were our work for the ones. That’s why we decided to go that route.”
Sirianni is obviously pleased with the offense’s progress so far, but it’s a bold decision nonetheless. The Eagles will have a new scheme this season under new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, and the team could probably use as much practice as possible. By giving their core players a rest, the Eagles run the risk of starting the 2024 season a little rusty.
“And I understand, everybody’s job is to say, ‘Should they have played, should they not have played?'” Sirianni said. “I have to make the decision. I understand that. I understand that. I have to make the decision that I think is best for our team and when I feel like our team is ready. I felt like there was a lot of back and forth. Again, hard practice, two hours out, which was more than what we’ve been. And so I felt like we’ve got enough work to do to be ready and I’m happy with where we’re at for the upcoming — I guess it’s a couple days before we get into game week mode. But I’m happy with where we’re at and I’m looking forward to some more good practices.”
There is plenty of evidence to support both sides of the rest versus rest argument. The Kansas City Chiefs allowed their starters to play many snaps together in the preseason, and that approach has obviously worked for the defending Super Bowl champions. The Baltimore Ravens rested quarterback Lamar Jackson in the preseason, and he still managed to win the 2023 NFL MVP award.
Because the league has limited contact practice in the offseason, teams have played sloppy early in the season, suggesting that many teams could benefit from more extensive offseason training. However, in some cases, core players suffered catastrophic, season-ending injuries in the preseason.
This is a question that is probably best decided on a case-by-case basis. Some teams need the snaps to develop good chemistry before the regular season. Other teams may be better prepared or need more rest. Ultimately, Sirianni’s decision to rest his offense will ultimately depend on how the unit performs in the regular season.
The Eagles will face the Green Bay Packers in their regular season opener on Friday, September 6.
