Herm Edwards is not happy with modern NFL players, and he made sure everyone knew it.
The former head coach and player appeared on the radio show You Better You Bet on August 24, 2026, where he delivered a pointed criticism of starters who choose to sit out preseason games. His argument was direct and rooted in his own playing days.
"Last time I checked, you know what football players do? They play football. They play football. That's what you do," Edwards said. "You signed on to play football. And when the offseason comes, you don't play football. You've got almost five, six months, you don't play any football. But when it's time to go practice and play football, that's what you signed on to do. You need to go do that. I say that as a guy that played football at that level."
Edwards said his own pride during his playing career was not built on statistics or championships. He described his personal standard as never missing a practice and never missing a start.
He extended the criticism beyond games and into the practice culture surrounding the modern NFL player. To Edwards, showing up in full was simply part of the job description, not something optional that veterans could opt out of once they had secured a contract.
"Football practice, I'm going to practice football. When the games starts, I'm going to play in the game. This is football. That's what you do! You don't wear your baseball hat and say, 'Hey man, I'll wait for the regular season and then I'll play.' What are you talking about? You signed on to play football."
Edwards did offer one concrete reason why he believes players cannot afford to treat any part of the season as optional. He framed it as something the current generation of players fails to understand about the nature of the sport itself.
"Football is not a career. That's what these guys don't understand," Edwards said. "It's not a career. You can't say, 'I'm going to play 10 years.' You're day to day as a football player. Day to day."
According to Yahoo Sports, which published coverage of the segment, Edwards made the remarks on Westwood One's You Better You Bet program alongside host Chris Mack. The comments were shared widely on social media following the broadcast.
The debate over preseason participation is not new. Veteran players and their agents have long argued that the risk of injury in exhibition games outweighs any benefit, particularly for established starters who do not need the repetitions. Edwards represents the opposing school of thought, one that treats preseason football as part of the commitment players make when they sign their contracts.
The NFL's 2026 regular season kicks off in approximately two weeks.
