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The topic of preseason has always been of much debate in NFL circles. Should the preseason be shortened? Should there even be exhibition games at all? Denver Broncos cornerback Chris Harris Jr. isn’t sure the league even needs to have a preseason:
“It seems like we’re always talking about the preseason,” said Chris Harris, according to Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com. “Guys who know how to prepare are ready for the regular season pretty fast.”
The Broncos held a joint practice with the San Francisco 49ers on Friday and will do so again on Saturday. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan agrees with Harris, but was even more blunt about it:
“You absolutely don’t need four preseason games,” Shanahan said earlier in training camp. “I’d rather have zero than four, preferably I’d like two. One to evaluate the people trying to make the team and then just one to knock a little rust off.”
Shanahan also said that he would put a “ton more value” on a joint practice session than a preseason game.
Of course, there are also some who are not a fan of joint practices, as Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton have both complained about them recently.
Obviously, you are never going to satisfy everybody, but opinions on preseason games seem to be a relatively common theme. You have to wonder how much longer the NFL is going to stick with four exhibition contests before it shortens the preseason or gets rid of it altogether.