The Cons of Training Camp-Key Losses to players before the season even begins

Training camp for all 32 teams began last week and already several teams have lost some valuable players for the season. The Baltimore Ravens lost TE Dennis Pitta for the season with a fractured hip. Denver Broncos lost C Dan Koppen for the season with a torn ACL. New York Jets lost CB Aaron Berry for the season with a torn ACL.

With so many injuries just days into training camp, questions arise on the health and safety on the athletes as well as what is too much training. Many football players come into training camp out of shape. They risk injuries and in extreme cases death. While a death in training camp has not happened in more than a decade, it is still a potential threat especially with players topping the scales at over 300 pounds and working out in extreme weather conditions. Extra weight only compounds this problem even more.

The offseason now is much shorter than in decades past. After the Super Bowl in January, players weren't due back for training camp until July which gave them a six month break. Nowadays the Super Bowl occurs in February with the draft occurring in April and players due for organized team activities (commonly referred to as OTAs) beginning in May, minicamp beginning in June and training camp in July. This gives some teams only a three month break. Players need to stay in an all most year round condition or find themselves suffering training camp and early season injuries. Are these injuries a result of poor conditioning or a lack of rest? If players in years past were able to sustain less injuries with less training, why is more training and more preseason games mandatory? You risk losing essential players before a single game is played.

The four preseason games system has been under scrutiny for many years as well. Before the signing of the last collective bargaining agreement, owners wished to add on two additional preseason games (which was voted down by the Players Association) while many players have always wished to cut the preseason to just two games. Every year when a player suffers a training camp or preseason injury, the same questions arise again and again. There is no full proof system that will guarantee player safety and insure that no player will not be injured prior to the beginning of the season, but a solution must be reached. A team should not have their possible playoff contention removed prior to the first snap of the season.