Another preseason. Another stockpile of injuries affecting numerous NFL teams.

While the preseason is viewed as a dress rehearsal and skill-development period for both rookies and veterans, the consensus of this four-week frame is that it is meaningless action in a violent sport and causes too many injuries. I personally don’t agree with that premise—as I view the extra team reps as beneficial to the starters, but wholeheartedly agree that key-players are lost during this period.

This season alone there have been many teams bitten by the injury bug. No team has suffered a greater than the Packers losing star-receiver Jordy Nelson. Nelson tore his ACL after making a routine catch and landing awkwardly when he attempted to plant his left leg. Nelson is out for season and reigning-MVP Aaron Rodgers is without his top target.

The key fact anti-preseason people are missing is that Nelson’s soft-tissue tear was a non-contact injury. A defender didn’t take out his knees or blindside him while he was crossing the field. His injury was unpreventable and could’ve occurred d just as easily in the regular-season.

Like Nelson, other NFL stars out will miss this entire season due ligament damage.

Dolphin Saftey Louise Delmas tore his ACL again this, Steelers Kicker Shaun Suisham also tore his ACL, and Panthers Wide-Out Kelvin Benjamin has also suffered a torn ACL, although his was in a preseason practice.

But, this ligament damage is no way exclusive to the pre-season. The most notable ACL tears of this era (Brady, Gronk, Peterson, Jamaal Charles), all occurred in the regular-season. As long as the rapid change of direction is required, ligament damage and football will always go hand-in-hand.

Soft-tissue tears in sports, predominately the NFL, are as constant as the sunrise. These injuries are almost unpreventable and will occur just as often in the games that matter than those that are meaningless.

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