How Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield, Giants' Russell Wilson feel about playing in preseason games

Discussions about whether or not veteran NFL players "need" to participate in any preseason games ahead of a grueling campaign pop up every August. 

On Thursday, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield indicated he'd be fine with serving as a spectator during upcoming exhibition contests. 

"I could go without it," Mayfield said about playing in preseason games, as shared by the JoeBucsFan website. "But I also love football. The adrenaline before gametime for the first time in months is always a good feeling."

A different JoeBucsFan piece mentioned that Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles revealed earlier in the week that Mayfield will play in one of the club's three preseason games this month. Mayfield said on Thursday he'll focus on playing "penalty-free, mental-error-free ball" during that brief appearance. 

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell attracted attention when he said in the spring of 2024 that a schedule of 18 regular-season games and two preseason contests per team was "not unreasonable." For years, national reporters have noted that NFL owners would scrap the preseason entirely if they could convince the NFL Players Association to accept a 20-game regular-season format. 

No major alteration to the NFL schedule will come before 2026 at the earliest. Change is coming, though, in part because many view preseason games as "meaningless" warm-ups. 

That said, New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson seemingly doesn't think about possibly suffering an injury whenever the subject of preseason games arises. 

"You get that same thrill every time you step [between] the white lines," Wilson recently said about his previous preseason experiences, per Tom Rock of Newsday. "I still do. The love of the game, the passion for it, your teammates. It's the best game in the world, and we get to do it, and I'm grateful for it every day. And those memories never leave you."

Shortly after first-year New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn confirmed that his starters will play in Gang Green's preseason opener at the Green Bay Packers on Saturday, Jets star cornerback Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner made it known he's "obsessed with football" and loves "the idea" of playing in any game. 

Gardner and his peers may need to get used to the idea of the preseason becoming a thing of the past sooner rather than later.