The first week of February may be the most anxious and sad week of the year, at least for those die-hard football fans around the country. It brings the culmination of the most anticipated game of the year, the Super Bowl, but also the final game of the year and the beginning of a seven-month drought without any competitive football. We can sit here and say the drought ends in August with the return of preseason, but I prefer to be honest in my articles and will say with 100 percent confidence that the preseason does not signal the return of football. Every year the debate to keep or destroy the four weeks of preliminary football games looms over all of our heads, and every year nothing happens. But with so many high profile players getting injured in meaningless contests and the continuous fights occurring in joint practices in preparation for the preseason games, is it time to call it quits?

There is no denying preseason games and the adjoining training camp are tryouts for most players. Veterans on teams are locks for a roster spot and have little worry going into the off-season. However, many rookies and young players in the league have to fight every day for a roster spot to keep their jobs. With only 53 positions available on each team and many viable options, the month of training camp paired with the four preseason games gives some players a chance to shine and earn a salary. However, the risk for starting and first reserve players has seemed to spike this year. With injuries to big-time names like Jordy Nelson, Kelvin Benjamin, Robert Griffin III and Maurkice Pouncey, the need for such games before the beginning of the season is called into question. Unlike other sports we popularize in America, football focuses on and celebrates the violence of the game. The bigger the hit, the better.

And in such a violent game, it is unnecessary to ask players to compete in high-profile games that do not count towards the record of the team. The injuries and risk for teams is becoming higher with each passing year. Teams that cannot participate in two-a-days are combining practices and performing scrimmages, elevating the risk of a fight or injury. And in such a sport that glamourizes the use of punching and tackling, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that a brawl after the play or scrimmage will break out. The month of preseason is an excessive amount of time for coaches to decide their final roster heading into the regular season. With each intersquad practice, they get a better idea for how smart and how dedicated each player really is to the team. One game or one play should not hold the difference between a player making the roster or being cut from the particular team.

Preseason football, with all its hype and media publicity from reality shows, is a joke—a tease, if you will, for the real football season ahead. And the amount of injuries piling up cannot be ignored. Now, it would be hard to do away with the preseason altogether because of the drastic rule changes it would entail. But it can be shortened. A cutback to two games from four would be an ideal solution. It would reduce the risk of injury prior to the actual important NFL season while still giving coaches a chance to grade and evaluate younger players. The NFL is all about money, and losing their best players loses them money in the long run and hurts the competition of the game as well. I’m looking at you, Goodell. Its time to make a good decision for once and reduce the preseason and give us the game we all love.