Once upon a time in the NFL, training camp and a lengthy preseason were the norm.
Back then, the players needed that time to get in shape after spending the offseason working a variety of jobs, with little thought (or time) to conditioning. The offseason was for making money and resting up. The summer months were there to mold those bodies back into game shape.
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That all has changed over the years, as today’s players make a nice enough living that offseason worker is no longer a necessity.