Why Are NFL Injuries Up? Preseason, Conditioning & Game Speed

Why do NFL injuries seem to spike in the first weeks of the season? In this episode, we answer a listener’s question about the apparent increase in early-season NFL injuries and explore what may be contributing to the trend. We examine common explanations, including artificial turf and Thursday Night Football, and discuss why preseason preparation, game-speed conditioning, and sport-specific training deserve closer attention. We discuss: Whether NFL injuries are actually increasing or simply getting more attention The possible roles of turf fields, travel, and Thursday night games How reduced preseason participation may affect players’ readiness for game speed Why hamstring strains and other non-contact injuries can occur when athletes aren’t prepared for high-speed demands The difference between feeling recovered and being physically prepared to compete Why wellness trends and symptom-management treatments can’t replace progressive loading, sprinting, and sport-specific conditioning The takeaway: feeling good isn’t the same as being ready. Preparing for the demands of competition requires progressively building the capacity to handle them - If you have a question you want answered, Submit it ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Watch us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Want to help share the message of Hope with others? One big way to help is by sharing this episode with friends and leaving a rating and review.