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The Bernstein Brief: Another Call Against Thursday NFL Football

By Dan Bernstein --
CBSChicago.com senior columnist

(CBS) Add Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to the list that already included Seahawks receiver Doug Baldwin and Bills lineman Richie Incognito, players unafraid to describe what's happening in Thursday night football games that they believe shouldn't exist.

"It's miserable, it's terrible," Roethlisberger said in an interview on Pittsburgh's 93.7 The Fan on Monday. "They just need to get rid of this game, I think. Just play on Mondays and Sundays. It's so tough on guys. You're beat up, you're banged up. It's a very violent, physical game we play."

Indeed. And he didn't stop there, even speaking for the Steelers' upcoming opponent this Thursday.

"I'm sure the Titans would say the same thing," he said. "Everyone who's played on Thursday night would say the same thing. You've got to let your body recover a little bit. When you go on such a short week, man, it's just not good."

It's a rising chorus of voices from players feeling empowered to speak freely about their workplace, at a time the league is fighting battles both internal and external. It adds even more weight to the negotiations set to take place in advance of the NFL and NFLPA's collective bargaining agreement expiring after the 2020 season.

Dan Bernstein is a co-host of 670 The Score's "Bernstein and Goff Show" in afternoon drive. You can follow him on Twitter: @dan_bernstein and read more of his columns here.

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