Looking around the league, Patrick Mahomes plays. Josh Allen plays. Jalen Hurts, Kirk Cousins, Aaron Rodgers and Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott do not. There are a ton of different thought processes at play around the NFL as the coaching staffs navigate the preseason schedule.
Is it more important to ensure health at all costs, or should players play football and get into a rhythm as soon as possible with the teammates they will battle with in the trenches?
Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy has chosen the latter, sitting Prescott and all of the key players on the Cowboys through the exhibition slate. Down to three games, the amount of snaps to evaluate the bottom of the roster is more limited than ever, and not only does McCarthy protect his key guys, but he gets extra intel on the middle and back ends of the roster. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, so getting more reps for guys who will be a part of the game-day chain against other team’s better players is a smart move.
But is it smarter than letting the key guys get into a rhythm?