This week, the Seattle Seahawks not only have to face the 3-1 Los Angeles Rams, fresh off a Super Bowl LIII appearance, but they have to do it on Thursday night — giving them only three full days between games.
While coach Pete Carroll made it clear the team has a process in place to get ready to play on such a short week, it’s clear that many of the players — not just the Seahawks, but around the league — would prefer to do away with Thursday night games, or at least drastically change how they are scheduled.
Count Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner in the latter category.
“I think it’s very hard for players to get their bodies ready to play a Thursday night game,” Wagner said on Tuesday. “But we’re professionals, we figure out a way. Would we like it to change? Of course. Will it? Probably not. So we have to just deal with it.”
Wagner went on to explain that he doesn’t believe Thursday night games need to be abolished, but he does think teams should have a bye week before they play Thursday games, in order to avoid having such a small window of time to get ready mentally and physically.
“Some way where it’s a little more time to get your body prepared to play a game,” Wagner continued. “We played Sunday, and turn around and play Thursday again. Monday, Tuesday and it’s the day before the game. Anybody who’s coming back or had injuries during that game, it’s hard for them to get their body 100 percent. But like I said, we’re professionals and we figure out a way.”
Wagner and the Seahawks will look to move to 4-1 on the season with a win over the Rams, a team that beat them twice last season. Kickoff is 5:20 p.m. PT.
