Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Are NFL teams actually protecting players by cutting preseason games — or just making the injury problem worse? In this segment, the hosts dig into one of the most debated topics in football every August: whether trimming preseason reps, joint practices, and contact actually reduces injuries, or if it's all just an illusion of safety. The conversation starts with a comparison between college football and the NFL, then pivots into a bigger cultural point — the hosts argue that fans, coaches, and even parents have become overly protective in a way that doesn't actually prevent harm. They break down the uncomfortable stat that the worst injuries in sports are almost always non-contact, meaning all the schedule-trimming in the world might not be solving the real issue. The discussion eventually lands on Trent Williams and the 49ers, questioning whether load management and reduced reps genuinely lower injury risk or just delay it.
Topics discussed include:
College football vs. NFL preseason comparisons
Why non-contact injuries are the real threat
Trent Williams' age, workload, and injury risk
How teams like the Rams and Warriors manage player health
Whether cutting preseason games actually helps at all
Do you think the NFL is solving the injury problem, or just avoiding it? Let us know in the comments.
0:00 – College Football vs. NFL Preseason Debate
1:29 – Sports Fans Have Become Overprotective
4:22 – The Non-Contact Injury Problem
11:00 – Football's Injury Conversation, Revisited
11:58 – Trent Williams & the Value of Preseason Reps
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Are NFL teams actually protecting players by cutting preseason games — or just making the injury problem worse? In this segment, the hosts dig into one of the most debated topics in football every August: whether trimming preseason reps, joint practices, and contact actually reduces injuries, or if it's all just an illusion of safety. The conversation starts with a comparison between college football and the NFL, then pivots into a bigger cultural point — the hosts argue that fans, coaches, and even parents have become overly protective in a way that doesn't actually prevent harm. They break down the uncomfortable stat that the worst injuries in sports are almost always non-contact, meaning all the schedule-trimming in the world might not be solving the real issue. The discussion eventually lands on Trent Williams and the 49ers, questioning whether load management and reduced reps genuinely lower injury risk or just delay it.
Topics discussed include:
College football vs. NFL preseason comparisons
Why non-contact injuries are the real threat
Trent Williams' age, workload, and injury risk
How teams like the Rams and Warriors manage player health
Whether cutting preseason games actually helps at all
Do you think the NFL is solving the injury problem, or just avoiding it? Let us know in the comments.
0:00 – College Football vs. NFL Preseason Debate
1:29 – Sports Fans Have Become Overprotective
4:22 – The Non-Contact Injury Problem
11:00 – Football's Injury Conversation, Revisited
11:58 – Trent Williams & the Value of Preseason Reps
Download the Audacy app to never miss any of your favorite 957 The Game content:
go.audacy.com/y-listen-live-957thegame
Listen live: audacy.com/957thegame/listen
Visit our website: 957thegame.com
Subscribe on Twitch: twitch.tv/957thegame
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/957thegame
Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/957thegame
Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/957thegame
Join our Newsletter: audacy.com/957thegame/join-our-clubs/mvp-club
