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GOOD Morning Football analyst Jamie Erdahl couldn’t have disagreed more with co-star Akbar Gbajabiamila on the Philadelphia Eagles’ preseason strategy.
The Eagles rested their starters in Thursday’s 14-13 win over the New England Patriots.
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And Gbajabiamila, 45, said he understood why head coach Nick Sirianni made the decision.
The former NFL defensive back said that Philadelphia’s A-team deserved a break with the game coming after a joint practice with the Patriots.
He explained that joint practices can be exhausting with players going through grueling nine-on-nine and seven-on-seven drills.
Gbajabiamila added the drills take place in a controlled environment, mitigating injury risks to an extent.
But Erdahl, 35, thought the Eagles showed a lack of competitive spirit.
“It’s shocking to me that we have totally lost touch with authentic competition in August,” the GMFB co-host said.
“You just listed off three scenarios that do not breed guys battling for starting jobs: nine on seven, seven on seven, and controlled environment.
“None of these are like third-string DB is trying to pick off Jalen Hurts and make a team.
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“None of this is like true, authentic, knock-your-head-off….”
Erdahl particularly didn’t understand how low-risk practice drills could replace game reps.
“Speaking of your controlled environment and I’m like, this is not a game. This doesn’t make sense to me,” she said.
“How can you say that that is the same thing as taking live snaps in a game?”
But Gbajabiamila insisted the players might have needed to rest considering the violent and physical nature of the game.
He also said that coaches can still learn a lot from a controlled-environment practice – perhaps even more than from a game.
Why is the NFL allowing players to wear Guardian Caps?
The NFL announced in April that players will be allowed to wear extra protective headgear in games to increase player health and safety.
They are designed to reduce the risk of head injury in high-impact collisions and were introduced in practice in 2022 – leading to a 50 percent reduction in concussions.
The NFL says that they can reduce the force from head contact by 10 percent if one player is wearing it, and 20 percent if all players involved are wearing them.
“We now have two years of data showing significant concussion reductions among players who wear Guardian Caps during practice so players will be permitted to wear the cap during games this upcoming season,” said NFL executive Jeff Miller.
“Additionally, there are new helmets this year that provide as much – if not more – protection than a different helmet model paired with a Guardian Cap.
“These developments represent substantial progress in our efforts to make the game safer for players.”
NFL players will have 12 new helmets – including eight that are made specifically for linemen and quarterbacks – to choose from next season.
Proving Gbajabiamila’s point in a way, Eagles guard Tyler Steen was carted off in the first quarter with an ankle injury.
“I actually haven’t got with the medical guys yet, so I don’t know,” Sirianni said of Steen after the game.
“I don’t know how he’s feeling yet. We’ll get that information to you guys.”
Second-year Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee shined against the Patriots.
The ex-Standford standout went 15-for-19 for 140 passing yards.
He overshadowed former first-round pick NFL pick Kenny Pickett, who completed 11 of his 13 pass attempts for 67 yards.
