Ben Roethlisberger has sided with Patrick Mahomes in his fury over the Kansas City Chiefs being forced to play three games in 11 days.
The three-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback will lead his team on Christmas Day against the Pittsburgh Steelers. It’s the reigning champions’ third game 11 days after facing the Cleveland Browns on Dec. 15 and the Houston Texans on Dec. 21.
“It’s not a good feeling. You never want to play this amount of games in this short of time,” Mahomes fumed. “It’s not great for your body. But, at the end of the day, it’s your job, your profession. You have to come to work and do it.”
Former NFL quarterback Roethlisberger has sided with Mahomes, citing that players will have no time to allow their bodies to recover after playing intense, physical 60-minute games. “It’s miserable,” Roethlisberger said. “It’s a shame that the league does this.
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“It just shows that it’s all about money and this is a way that they can, you know, make more money and figure this thing out because it’s not fair for the players.
“You wanna talk about injuries and making the game safer, changing the kickoff rule and preventing guys on hip-drop tackles, and concussions, and this that and the other, and you’re going to make guys play the most violent game in the world, arguably, three games in 11 days. I mean, there’s no time for your body to get healthy and rest.”
The two NFL games on Christmas Day will be broadcast live on Netflix after the streaming giants acquired the rights for $150 million. The NFL and Netflix agreed on a three-season deal to broadcast games in the festive season, with fixtures set for 2025 and 2026.
The Chiefs have already won their AFC West division following a 14-1 start to 2024. Mahomes and Co. have already confirmed their spot in the playoffs as they chase a historic three-peat.
Star QB Mahomes had to shake off an injury scare sustained in the win over the Browns. “All you can do is focus on the game. The practice you have that day,” he said.
“I try to prepare my body all year long for this stretch. Thats tailoring my workouts, tailoring how you practice and prepare. And the coaches do a great job of taking care of us on the practice field. We practice as hard as anybody, but they know how to dial it back when needed.”
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