“Shanahan is part of a new wave of head coaches — a group that includes the Rams’ Sean McVay, the Packers’ Matt LaFleur and the Falcons’ Raheem Morris — who have come to view these games as counterproductive. Like many coaches, they are partial to joint workouts, where two teams can practice against one another in a controlled environment.
Joint workouts tend to mitigate the absolute worst element of the preseason — the exposure of important players to the risk of significant injuries — while skipping over much of the stupidity.