Herm Edwards rips NFL players that avoid playing in the preseason

Credit: Michael Chow/The Republic

Herm Edwards has a bone to pick with the current generation of NFL players, and it’s a lament that has been echoed by members of his own generation far and wide: No one wants to work anymore.

For anyone working, it’s an easy enough argument to roll your eyes at. But in the world of sports commentary takes must be made, and it is not at all surprising that the man who blessed us with “You play to win the game” has plenty more words of wisdom ready to go.

Edwards’s complaint came while appearing as a guest on the radio show You Better You Bet. He laid out an argument that was satisfyingly simple regarding whether or not starters should take the field in the preseason.

“Last time I checked, you know what football players do? They play football. They play football. That’s what you do,” Edwards said. “You signed on to play football. And when the offseason comes, you don’t play football. You’ve got almost five, six months, you don’t play any football. But when it’s time to go practice and play football, that’s what you signed on to do. You need to go do that. I say that as a guy that played football at that level.”

Edwards argued that his “claim to fame” during his time in the pros was not any stellar moment or the longevity of his career, but rather that he never missed a practice and never missed a start.

“Football practice, I’m going to practice football. When the games starts, I’m going to play in the game. This is football. That’s what you do! You don’t wear your baseball hat and say, ‘Hey man, I’ll wait for the regular season and then I’ll play.’ What are you talking about? You signed on to play football.”

Edwards managed to land the plane a bit near the end of his screed, noting that football is not a sport that is very conducive to long-term plans, so players might as well be on the field when they can.

“Football is not a career. That’s what these guys don’t understand,” Edwards said. “It’s not a career. You can’t say, ‘I’m going to play 10 years.’ You’re day to day as a football player. Day to day.”

“This is football! That’s what you do, you don’t wear your baseball hat! You signed on to play football!” @HermEdwards goes off on NFL players who choose not to play in the preseason. @TheChrisMack | @Westwood1Sports pic.twitter.com/gEzkxIlbnD

— You Better You Bet (@YouBetterYouBet) August 24, 2026

This is a classic capital-F, capital-G, Football Guy take. In order to play to win the game, you have to be on the field playing . Do wins and losses matter in the preseason? Maybe not to you, but to a Football Guy? They sure do.

Thankfully, we’re just two weeks away from the true start of the NFL season.

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