NFL fans shouldn't expect to see several of the league's prominent players in preseason action this month, as teams are determined -- perhaps now more than ever -- to reach the regular season with healthy, full-strength rosters.
But this safe, conservative strategy shouldn't necessarily apply to all teams, according to FanSided.com NFL writer Russell Baxter.
"It all depends on where you team is, status-wise," Baxter told After Hours with Amy Lawrence on Monday. "You have to take into account that you have new coaches, some of them are first-time NFL head coaches. So, they're handling the preseason differently than a veteran coach is handling it. And every coach has a different philosophy about preseason. Listen, if you played defense like the Dallas Cowboys played last year, you need all the practice you can get..."
There were no preseason games in the NFL last year, due to the pandemic. This season, 30 of the 32 teams have three exhibition games scheduled -- one fewer than in years past -- as the league prepares for its first 17-game regular season schedule.
The 2021 campaign begins Thursday, Sept. 9 with the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosting the Dallas Cowboys. The final regular season games will be played on Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022, and the playoffs will begin on Jan. 15, 2022 and continue through Super Bowl 56 on Feb. 13, 2022 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
The entire NFL conversation between Baxter and Lawrence can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow After Hours With Amy Lawrence on Twitter @ALawRadio and @AfterHoursCBS, and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.