17-Year NFL Doctor Warns League’s Wednesday Grab Is “All About Revenue”—Not Player Safety

A longtime NFL team doctor has warned that the league’s push for more midweek games, marketed as safety enhancements, could actually increase injury risks in a sport already fraught with physical danger. Dr. David Chao, who served as the San Diego Chargers’ team physician for 17 seasons, told Outkick that the NFL’s gradual schedule expansion from Thursday openers to more weekly Thursday games, Friday contests, and a proposed Wednesday Thanksgiving game as part of its 2026 schedule expansion is being driven by revenue motives rather than genuine health concerns.

Midweek Games Disrupt Recovery and Heighten Risks

Chao argued that while the league promotes midweek games as offering “a mini-bye both before and after,” the reality is that frequent schedule alterations disrupt player recovery and elevate injury risks. He noted that the NFL’s popularity growth, particularly among female viewers and through fantasy sports, has fueled the push for more games, but cautioned that overextending the calendar could undermine the very athlete health the league claims to prioritize.

League Officials Stress Commitment to On-Field Safety

NFL officials have reaffirmed their safety commitment. Then-NFL Chief Football Administrative Officer Dawn Aponte, now Senior Vice President of Football Operations at the New York Giants, said the league wants “any opportunity…to put a flag on the field” for missed player-safety penalties. EVP Jeff Miller said the league must “decrease to the extent we can” on-field injury risks, while Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allen Sills described “an unending and relentless quest to get the head out of the game.”

Injury Data Shows Mixed Results Amid Schedule Changes

Despite the schedule expansion, the NFL reported fewer regular-season games missed to injury, driven largely by a reduction in ACL tears and lower-extremity strains. Concussions on kickoffs fell 60 percent, from 20 to eight, under the 2023 fair-catch rule, though they rose to 35 in the 2025 season following the league’s return-encouraging kickoff overhaul. Miller noted ACL tears were down 25 percent to a seven-year low, with lower-extremity strain rates holding steady overall.

Owners Push for an 18-Game Season Despite Player Concerns

Patriots owner Robert Kraft has publicly pushed to expand the regular season from 17 to 18 games, reduce preseason to two contests, and mandate one international game per team annually. Tying the move to labor relations, Kraft said, “As long as we can keep growing revenue, we can keep long-term labor peace.” He pointed to the league’s expansion from 14 to 16 games in 1978 and to 17 in 2021 as evidence of a sustained, financially driven pattern of schedule growth.

Players Express Reservations About Longer Seasons

Many players remain skeptical about extending the schedule, suggesting player safety carries a price tag tied to revenue. Former star Richard Sherman previously argued the NFL puts a “price tag” on player safety, cautioning that further expansion would exacerbate existing health concerns. The NFL Players Association has not formally endorsed an 18-game season, citing the need for adequate recovery time amid already demanding workloads.

Doctor Warns Revenue Motives Mask Safety Claims

Chao warned that the league’s framing of midweek games as safety measures is misleading, asserting that the true motivation is financial gain from additional television slots and advertising. He emphasized that football’s inherent physicality means any increase in game frequency inherently raises injury probability, regardless of how the schedule is packaged. The doctor urged the NFL to prioritize genuine recovery protocols over calendar expansion to protect long-term athlete well-being.

Competition Committee Considers Replay for Missed Safety Penalties

In response to rising safety concerns, the NFL is exploring video review to penalize missed player-safety infractions such as hip-drop tackles and face-mask blows. Officials acknowledged that hip-drop tackles are 20 to 25 times more likely to cause injury than standard tackles, though crafting an enforceable rule has proven challenging. The league plans to discuss these options at the upcoming NFL Annual League Meeting, seeking input from coaches, medical staff, and the competition committee.

Balancing Growth and Player Welfare Remains a Critical Challenge

As the NFL navigates the tension between expanding its footprint and safeguarding athlete health, voices from doctors, owners, and players alike call for caution. Any schedule changes must be weighed against empirical injury data and player feedback to avoid compromising the sport’s long-term integrity. The coming months will test whether the league can reconcile its financial ambitions with its responsibility to protect the men and women who make the game possible.

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