Should the NFL Force Starters to Play in Week 18?

After a controversial decision by the Bills to play superstar quarterback Josh Allen for just one play, the idea that teams should be forced to play their starters is up for discussion. Allen, who made his 105th consecutive start today, was taken out as soon as one snap occurred in a plan to rest the quarterback after he got the stats for a start. Other teams, such as the Eagles with Saquon Barkley and the Chiefs with Patrick Mahomes and Chris Jones, have also been criticized for resting on the final week of the season. For all three of these teams, their playoff position was set in Week 17, so a decision to make sure their players were healthy going into next week's playoff games seems like the right decision, but one that has been deemed “unfair” by multiple media outlets.

Going into Week 18, the Cincinnati Bengals needed a win, as well as wins by the Chiefs and Jets, to make the playoffs. After the Bengals win on Saturday night, however, their hope to advance became low as the Chiefs announced they would be resting most of their starters for their matchup with the Broncos. Even though Joe Burrow acknowledged that it was their fault for the record, the Chiefs resting most of their team gives the Bengals a very small chance to advance. As much as the NFL has never had an issue with ratings like other sports, fans still want to see their stars, and this week’s games have shown the difference in football. From the fans who traveled to Foxborough to see Josh Allen never throw the ball to the Bengals fans who have to watch Carson Wentz try to save their season, the issue of players sitting needs to be looked at. 

Compared to other sports, the NFL only plays 17 games before the playoffs, and while the physicality of the average football game greatly outweighs other sports, having most stars rest in Week 18 clashes should be stopped. Every top team rested their players in the first slate of games today, and while the football was still competitive, stars like Allen, Jayden Daniels, and Saquon Barkley were nowhere to be seen. Instead of a reporter talking about how quickly a team can rest their players, it would be better if they were talking about Barkley breaking the rushing record or Allen pushing his MVP case. While incentives for playing probably wouldn’t work due to the insane amount of money the best players already make, some type of deal with the players would help a playoff race be more competitive in terms of who would deserve to be in. If the Broncos were to beat a healthy Kansas City team, no narrative about their win against backups could be made. At the end of the day, football will continue to get great ratings due to product and the anticipation of playoffs, but the best teams playing their starters for at least a half would make some of these non-competitive games competitive.