Glauber: 1 or 2 more games not what NFL needs

Plenty of NFL players are grumbling about the idea of expanding the regular season to 17 or 18 games, but Giants defensive end Justin Tuck has no problem with it.

"I hope it's inevitable in a few years . . . when I decide to retire," Tuck cracked.

Sarcasm aside, Tuck joins many players in decrying the league's push to add one or two games while reducing the preseason to two games. The issue was discussed at length when representatives of the NFL and the NFL Players Association met Wednesday in New York in another round of negotiations aimed at a new collective-bargaining agreement.

The league is promoting the idea as a way to grow revenue and provide higher salaries for players. It's still uncertain whether a regular-season expansion will occur, but the earliest it would be implemented is 2012.

"We've had a lot of focus groups and we get a lot of complaints about preseason games not being the same value as the regular season," said Packers president Mark Murphy, a former player who also worked for the NFLPA. "That's a real issue we need to address."

But many players, including Tuck and teammate Shaun O'Hara, believe the added wear and tear wouldn't be worth the salary gains that might occur.

"We have the gladiator persona where, even though your body is hurting, we go out there and bang around those last two games, and that can be tough," Tuck said. "I've been through seasons where you need the entire offseason to start getting your bearings back because of the pain and suffering you went through."

O'Hara, the Giants' NFLPA player representative, panned the idea of adding games. "As a player, it's hard enough to get through 16," he said. "That's our number one concern - the safety factor."

Murphy acknowledged that injury concerns are the biggest issue with extra regular-season games.

"We've taken some steps in terms of playing rules and looking at equipment," he said. "We want to address those concerns. How do the players train throughout the offseason? Are there some changes we can make to make the whole experience for players safe? How to use bye weeks?"

Murphy said owners probably would approve bigger rosters and would want to introduce a developmental league to serve as a feeder system. With additional games, injured-reserve rules likely would be relaxed.

Several other high-profile players, including Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, are decidedly against a longer season.

"The long-term impact this game has on our bodies is well documented," Brady said.

Lewis agrees. "I know our fans may not like preseason games, and I don't like all of them,'' he said. "But swapping two preseason games for two end-of-season games, when players already play hurt, comes at a huge cost for the player and the team."

Tuck's suggestion: "How about we leave it like it is?"

Sounds like a plan. We agree.