NFL season expansion?
Ramon Foster would rather see games added to the playoffs.
If it were up to Ramon Foster, the NFL and NCAA tournaments would have more in common than just a single- elimination format.
Holding court before practice Monday morning at Steelers training camp, Foster — the team’s representative for the NFL Players Association — spoke out against the idea of extending the regular season. He has heard the potential solutions — straight 18 games compared to the current 16, a shorter preseason and even the idea of limiting players to 16 appearances in an 18game schedule — but isn’t loving any of those concepts.
“I think the better solution may be extended playoffs, more than anything,” Foster said.
Foster, 33, was long ago an undrafted free agent who worked his way into the league. He said he’s opposed to fewer preseason games because it takes opportunities away from players trying to make the roster.
Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal reported that NFL owners have floated the possibility of an 18- game regular season, but with players only being allowed to play in 16 of those games. Ostensibly, it’s in response to concerns about injuries over the course of a longer season, but it could also just be a bargaining ploy as the league and its players union negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement. The current CBA, in effect since 2011, expires after the 2020 season.
“I’m more quality over quantity at this point,” said Foster, who tweeted as much a couple weeks ago. “Once you start extending stuff, you’re going to give guys games off? You’re just going to say, ‘ Hey, what are you paying for the season tickets? And your starting QB isn’t playing that game simply because he can only play 16?’ Well, in that case, keep it at 16 games. Put the best product back out there.”
Naturally, Foster is backing the fans and his fellow players on that front. What he isn’t backing is the NFL and its owners, adding that “what they’re looking for is the opportunity for every team to make more money because of home games.”
“I’m into the incentivebased,” Foster explained, “where you make more money by winning and hosting playoff games.”
The Steelers’ starting left guard is a little too busy to sit down and hammer out what would be his perfect postseason setup but mentioned perhaps having 10 or 12 playoff spots per conference. Sure, that could mean 75 percent of the league playing for a chance to win the Super Bowl.
“Of course there would be that one, maybe 7- 9 team, 8- 8 team, stuff like that,” he said, “but you live for the Cinderella, right?
“We enjoy March Madness because there’s always that one team that gives a push toward the end. And those teams, I think they help boost tournament time. I look forward to expanded playoffs more than I would 18 games.”
Last season, only eight AFC and seven NFC teams finished better than 8- 8. With a 24- team field, two of the Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos ( all 6- 10) would have been included in the first round.
Still, Foster thinks it makes more sense than the radical plan of 18 games that matter with only 16 that Ben Roethlisberger can play. From a player safety standpoint, he wonders if ineligible players would still practice that week if they aren’t going to be active? If so, that’s still more wear and tear on the body.
Injury report
It was mostly a clean day health- wise for the Steelers, who were still without starters Sean Davis and T. J. Watt. Wide receiver Donte Moncrief left with a finger injury, but returned once it was evaluated, according to coach Mike Tomlin. As for Davis, Watt and others who have been sidelined, it sounds like they could be back Wednesday.
“Nothing new on the guys that were out with a variety of day- to- day- like injuries,” Tomlin said.
“Maybe we’ll start getting some of those guys back as we come off the off day [ Tuesday].”
Speaking of the off day, Tomlin was asked if it comes at a good time for his team after four consecutive practice days since players reported to Saint Vincent.
“I’m sure you won’t find a player that dislikes an off day,” Tomlin quipped.
Noteworthy plays
• During the first live portion of practice, the firstteam offense went 2 for 4 on touchdowns from the 2- yard line. Both scores were from Ben Roethlisberger to Moncrief. The other two passes were intended for JuJu Smith- Schuster. The second team went 3 for 3, but possibly 1 for 3 if the sequence had been officiated. Mason Rudolph hit rookie Diontae Johnson for one touchdown, James Washington in the right corner for one that likely would’ve been a sack and undrafted free- agent tight end Trevor Wood in the back of the end zone.
• Wood had another loud play later in practice, making a grab over the middle and then running over safety Marcus Allen for some yards after the catch. As he tries to make the squad, Wood is also listed as a long- snapper, but Tomlin isn’t getting into that assessment just yet. “We haven’t gotten into the ‘ B’ jobs yet”
• Allen made a splash play of his own, picking off a pass from fourth- string quarterback Devlin Hodges over the middle and busting out some nifty moves on the return. Cornerback Cameron Sutton, who could be competing with Allen for a role in various sub- packages, dropped what would have been a pick- six.
Coach- quoting
Tomlin on the team generating interceptions Monday: “It’s not a big enough body of work for me to judge it at this point. We did get our hands on some today.”