Not just for 2021 NFL Draft prospects, but Spring football is a bad idea for all
As the college football season remains in limbo, with two conferences in the Big Ten and the Pac-12 already postponing their seasons, the NCAA is in utter chaos. One idea, however, remains among the worst of them for not only 2021 NFL Draft prospects, but for every player and coach as well: Spring football.
As many draft prospects see this as the potential trend, they are opting out in order to bypass the uncertainty and train for the draft instead. By doing this, the players have the ability to control their own certainty and can make sure what they are doing is best for them; these are interests that conferences have yet to figure out how to navigate.
Why Spring football is a bad idea
How can any person, conference, or the NCAA as a whole claim to have the player’s best interest at heart, then arrange for them to play two full seasons without much of a break in between? There is no sport like football, and asking a player to put their bodies on the line for nearly 30 straight weeks is a significant safety risk.
Even should the NFL delay the draft until the beginning of June 2021, asking prospects to play a season, immediately head towards the 2021 NFL Draft, then report to rookie minicamps to do it all over again without much of a rest is a way to significantly impact the health of a young player long term.
Players are going to sit out if their seasons are cancelled as the Big Ten and Pac-12 have been, and rightfully so. Right now we are only at six underclassmen opt-outs, but that list will surely grow.