J.J. Watt throws shade at NFL for money-driven holiday schedule
Former NFL star J.J. Watt shared his thoughts on the NFL's holiday schedule, criticizing the league for favoring money. Week 17 of the 2024 NFL season will have two games on Christmas Day and three on Saturday, which has rubbed some people off.
During Wednesday's appearance on the "Pat McAfee Show," Watt disagreed with this decision, saying that the league is after the money and nothing else.
"What do you think the NFL is thinking when they do this?" AJ Hawk asked.
"I think we all know what they're thinking when they're doing this. They want more money. More football for the people. There's a Freudian slip," Watt said.
Week 16 will end on Monday, with the Kansas City Chiefs visiting the Pittsburgh Steelers while the Baltimore Ravens will face the Houston Texans on Christmas Day.
The Seattle Seahawks and Chicago Bears will clash the following day. On Dec. 28, the LA Chargers will face the New England Patriots, the Denver Broncos will visit the Cincinnati Bengals and the Arizona Cardinals will be on the road against the LA Rams.
Watt has been critical of some of the decisions the NFL officials have made this season and isn't alone in this.
Patrick Mahomes had criticized playing multiple games in a short period before J.J. Watt's comments
J.J. Watt isn't the only one criticizing this call, as Patrick Mahomes shared his thoughts about all the games the Chiefs have to play in 11 days.
"All you can do is focus on the game and the practice that you had that day," Mahomes said on Dec. 11, via ESPN. "I try to prepare my body all year long for this stretch by tailoring my workouts, tailoring how you practice and you prepare. The coaches do a great job of taking care of us on the practice field. We practice hard as anybody, but they know how to kind of dial it back when we need it."
Mahomes added that he was excited to play on Christmas but playing three games in less than two weeks will take a toll on the players' bodies. However, he vowed to be there and still do his job.
The Chiefs will face the Houston Texans on Saturday before heading to Pittsburgh. They will close the season against the Denver Broncos on Jan. 5.