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Column: NFL Risks Health of Players in Newly Extended Regular Season

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As a National Football League (NFL) fanatic, the news of the league extending its regular season from 16 to 17 games seemed phenomenal at first. Holding the shortest regular season in all major U.S. sports, the effect one extra week of regular-season football can have is something to go crazy for.

The reason why the NFL season is so short is because of how physically demanding the sport is. Built on hits and movements of speed and explosivity, hundreds of players sustain injuries every season. According to Sharp Football Analysis, the average number of injuries per year throughout the seasons of 2017-2019 was 477.