If you had to change one simple thing to fix the NFL’s constant and brutal injuries, while keeping the ratings as high as they are now, changing the schedule from one to two bye weeks would be the clear and obvious answer.

Part of the problem with the NFL is the league added an extra game to the schedule in 2021. Now, with 17 weeks in a regular season, there’s one more opportunity for players to get injured or have their bodies wear down.

Sure, fans want more football and another week gives them that. Plus, with the additional revenue from TV and another home for all teams, it seems like a win-win. But when the league added this extra game it needed to add an additional bye week as well because the NFL’s product is damaged each time a player goes down, especially a star player.

The NFL is a very physical sport and players get injured every week. But by adding another game to the already long schedule, players require another week to rest, which benefit the play on the field.

When you play more games it risks more injuries and as of now, the season ending injuries seems more common then ever.

I don’t really see a problem with having another bye week, especially since this could help fans see their favorite players well-rested before playing in another important game.

The other side of this argument is that players might get lazy with two bye weeks. I think that is completely false.

Players are earning millions of dollars to play a sport, and when they have an extra rest week to recover from such a physical game, I think it motivates players to play better.

For example, the San Francisco 49ers just paid their star quarterback Brock Purdy $235 million for the next five years. He’s already injured and it’s only the beginning of the season. And Purdy joins a long list of star players out for part of all of the season.

Having an extra week of rest is also beneficial for play. When it benefits the players and the team, the fans will have a better product to watch.

After all, not many Bengal fans get too excited watching Cincinnati backup Jake Browning play now that Joe Burrow is out for much of the season.

The NFL can make more money when their big stars are playing every week and the competition is at an all time high.

But the NFL should understand that to keep these stars on the field to deliver the best product.