Patrick Mahomes and JJ Watt slam NFL rule changes as ‘terrible idea’, with ex-Texans star calling for double standards

The NFL faces significant backlash over proposed and confirmed rule changes.

Team owners, general managers and coaches gathered in Arizona this week for the annual league meeting to discuss, among other things, rule changes.

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One of those announced changes was that teams would be able to play two Thursday night games per season Ari Meirow.

However, according to CBS Sports, a separate proposal to allow the league to reschedule Sunday games between Weeks 14-17 to Thursday night with just fifteen days left fell through.

Although it appears this will be re-evaluated at the May owners meeting.

Reigning NFL MVP and two-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes is reacting to the news retweeted Meirov’s post with a simple facepalm emoji.

While former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Robert Griffin III commented: “So much for player safety”

Later, three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year JJ Watt tweeted: “Moving games from Sunday to Thursday is a bad idea for two main reasons:

“1) Player safety

“You can’t make this decision and at the same time preach that player safety is a priority.

“2) Fans

“People spend hard-earned money to watch their team play. Who pays to change their plans?”

And it wasn’t just players who were critical of the NFL’s plans.

New York Giants co-owner John Mara described plans to flex Thursday night’s games as “abusive.”

Per Charlotte CarollMara said: “People have gotten used to walking from Sunday afternoon to Sunday night – it doesn’t mean they like it.

“This year we can be moved to Monday nights, which I think is really inconsiderate to our ticket holders.

“But moving a game to Thursday night for me is just abusive. And I am firmly against it.”

In comparison, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said per Jori Epstein: “I’m for it (strain).

“I think what we’re proposing is very good for the NFL and will allow us to give the appropriate sensitivity to all fans who are generally being disadvantaged by a game that gets out of their plans.”

When NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell pressed Mahome’s opposition to their plans, he denied they “put Amazon ahead of the interests of our players.”

Amazon is currently entering its second season as a broadcaster of Thursday Night Football, costing them around $1 billion a year.

Goodell continued, “We’ve always looked at the data in terms of injuries and the impact on players.

“That informed our decisions over the first 12 years of Thursday Night Football and its development.

“I think we have very clear data that doesn’t show a higher injury rate.”

Goodell also claimed he’s heard from other players who “love the ten days after.

“In fact, they call it a mini bye. And so there are some advantages on this side.

“So they have different views, you want to take them all into account. But players have different views, coaches have different views and we have to try to balance everything.”

The commissioner also stated when it comes to flexing games: “Of course part of our job is to offer our fans the best matchups.”

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