Your inbox approves 🥇 On sale now 🥇 🏈's best, via 📧 Chasing Gold 🥇
NFL

Michael Strahan, Pro Football Hall of Famer, isn't a fan of new 17-game regular season

Michael Strahan is quite confident about how he would feel if he were still playing and the NFL and NFL Players' Union agreed to a 17-game regular season, which will go into effect for the first time in 2021.

"I wouldn't be too happy," the Hall of Fame defensive end and current "Good Morning America" co-host told USA TODAY Sports. 

Really? 

"Hard enough to get through 16. Why do I have to do a 17th game?" Strahan said. "I wouldn’t have been happy at all about it. I don’t even know how this happened. It’s tough on the body.

"I know the fans want one extra game. I know the owners want an extra game, because financially it’s a big incentive. But physically, for the guy who has to actually go out there and do the work, that’s a tough deal, a really tough deal." 

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

Michael Strahan will co-host the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards.

Strahan spoke to USA TODAY Sports after hosting the paper's High School Sports Awards Show alongside Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski. 

Proponents of the 17-game schedule point to relaxed offseason workout requirements and the elimination of one preseason game. Strahan doesn't think that's enough of a trade-off, however. 

OPINION:A 17-game regular season brings pop but also some mediocrity

ANALYSIS:Top 10 games of 2021 NFL schedule: Marquee matchups feature top QB duels

"But you don’t play half of those preseason games. ... When you have 17 regular-season (games), you’re playing 17 games full. You have to do what you have to do because that’s what it is right now, but boy, I wouldn’t be too happy." 

At least he sees the silver lining.

"As a fan," Strahan said, "it’s going to be great."

Follow Chris Bumbaca on Twitter @BOOMbaca.

Featured Weekly Ad