Are NFL Players Spending More Time on the Sidelines Than on the Field?

Jacksonville Jaguars game against the Carolina Panthers at EverBank Stadium in 2023. Photo by Maya Waters

The 2025 NFL football season has recently kicked off, and as we enter week seven, many key players are already out of the game for a large portion of the season. When it comes to football, people don’t just get invested in their favorite teams, but also their favorite players. 

For hardcore fans, football season is a big part of their lives for eighteen weeks out of the year, turning their TVs on Sunday, Monday and Thursday nights to watch their favorite players and teams battle it out on the field. 

For some, not only are they watching their favorite players, but they’re also watching their money. Fantasy football has become a large way for people to engage with teams and players and earn money while doing it. 

While some people play fantasy football with their friends without the involvement of money, others put hundreds of dollars into their players. But how can people expect to cash out when the big names that people rely on are dropping like flies within the first three weeks of the season? 

While nothing is guaranteed when it comes to gambling, and football players are always susceptible to getting hurt, are the key players in the game getting more sensitive because they are signed to million-dollar contracts that will pay out whether they're on the field or not? 

Is it the coaches' responsibility to protect the players by taking favored players out of the game when they’re no longer needed, or do we want to see these players lay it all out on the field, no matter the outcome? 

These are questions considered by many fans when big names drop out of the game due to injury. However, when it comes to injuries sustained on the field, it is frustrating when fans rely on them, but there’s not much that can be done to protect them. An incident like Joe Burrow’s, where he was sacked in the second quarter of the Bengals’ game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in week two, resulting in grade three turf toe, is an accident difficult to prevent.

The projected healing time for grade three turf toe is two to six months. Burrow is not projected to return until December 14. With other key players injured in the first weeks and now placed on injured reserve like Ceedee Lamb, George Kittle, Nick Bosa and Tyreek Hill, what are fans expecting from these teams? 

Gianna Angelucci ‘28, an avid Dallas Cowboys fan, said, “It’s really disappointing to lose key players to injury since oftentimes there’s not a player as good to sub in for them, and usually it means your team's season is shot. Sometimes they overcome it, or there’s a backup player thrown in that ends up being really great, but that doesn’t happen a lot. I’m very sad Ceedee’s out because he’s my favorite, but this past game the Cowboys did pretty well, relying on their other wide receivers, like Kavonte Turpin.” 

“Also, my fantasy team got messed up because of injury reserve, too, so now I’m not getting as many points as projected, so that’s annoying,” she added. 

When fans are invested in teams, players and fantasy football, it can be disappointing when favored players aren’t on their screens come NFL game days. Yet, when considering the physical strain football players put on themselves, especially when it comes to the best of the best, maybe it makes sense that they want to be in peak physical health when on the field. Allowing athletes to protect themselves ensures they will participate in more NFL game days in the future.