National Football League

Is the NFL trying to protect players? Anquan Boldin doesn't think so

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 2:58 p.m. ET

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By Sam Gardner, FOXSports.com The NFL may think it’s doing everything it can to encourage player safety on the field, but San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Anquan Boldin isn’t sold on the idea — and the Niners’ 35-11 Thursday night win over St. Louis in Week 4 may be partially to blame. On Monday, Boldin took part in an online chat organized by Bay Area News Group, and when a question came up asking whether the 11th-year vet had seen PBS’ “League of Denial” concussion documentary, Boldin said he hadn’t. Boldin followed that up by praising the NFL for putting gameday concussion diagnosis in the hands of doctors instead of players and coaches, but then, via the San Jose Mercury News, he said this:

The league debuted a five-game slate of Thursday night games starting in 2006, and over the last eight seasons, the schedule has grown to include a full season’s worth of mid-week contests, with no stipulation that the teams playing in them must be coming off of a bye. The argument has been made before that the playing of Thursday night games runs counter to the idea that safety takes precedent over profitability. And surely, an NFL player speaking out against those very games only adds fuel to what is already a heated debate. Questions? Comments? Send them to lacesoutmail@gmail.com and we might respond in our weekly mailbag!

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