Super Bowl LIV: NFLPA Vice President Richard Sherman mocks NFL for 17-game plan

Richard Sherman is not quite known for being diplomatic. As the NFL approaches the end of its collective bargaining agreement, the NFLPA (NFL Players Association) and the NFL have been locked in negotiations over a 17-game regular season. Richard Sherman, who doubles up as the vice president of the NFLPA, laid into the NFL for their ‘hypocrisy’ ahead of the Super Bowl LIV.

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Super Bowl LIV: 49ers' Richard Sherman blasts NFL hypocrisy for 17-game regular-season plans

The NFL continues to negotiate to move towards a 17-game regular season. However, Richard Sherman believes that the NFL cares less about the safety of the players in the league and more about the additional revenue the NFL will draw with the added game in the season. “I don’t think it’s something players are interested in, honestly. And if that’s the point (owners are) negotiating on, then I think these negotiations are going to go a lot longer than anticipated. “It’s always odd when you hear player safety is (the league's) biggest concern,” Sherman said.

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"They’re really standing up for player safety, player safety, player safety, but it seems like player safety has a price tag. Player safety up to the point of ‘Hey, 17 games makes us this much money, so we really don’t care how safe they are if you’re going to pay us this much money to play another game. That's the part that's really concerning for us as a union and us as players."

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Super Bowl LIV: Richard Sherman believes NFL hypocrisy will ultimately lead to 18-game regular season

Richard Sherman also said that he believes the plans for the 17-game regular-season is just a gateway into making the NFL an 18-game league. “And not just 17 – they're really just saying 17 so that they can get to 18. And so that's two more opportunities for players to risk their bodies, to put their bodies on the line. And that's what's so ridiculous about it – nobody calls them out. Nobody calls out the hypocrisy. And I'm hoping that one day that people will be brave enough to call out the hypocrisy and them saying, 'Hey, we really care about player safety but, hey, we also want you to play an extra game and put your body on the line and risk your career."

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