Ex-NFL star cautions league about ‘giving fans too much’as Thanksgiving Eve game reportedly eyed

San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman against the Baltimore Ravens at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego on Sept.20, 2009.(Mark J.Rebilas/USA Today Sports)

Ex-NFL star Shawne Merriman appeared on OutKick’s“Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich”on Thursday and warned the NFL about possibly diluting its product.

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“I will caution this.The NBA, I think the season is just so long, there’s so many games, it gets watered down.I don’t think it’ll ever get to the point where there’s a 20-plus game season with the NFL for two seasons,” Merriman said.“Physically, I don’t think guys’ bodies can hold up an extra 2-3 games during the year unless there’s another bye week.They have to include another bye week if they plan on doing that.

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DaRon Bland, left, and Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys take a bite out of a turkey leg after a win over the Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium on Nov.23, 2023, in Arlington, Texas.(Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)

AN NFL GAME THE NIGHT BEFORE THANKSGIVING IS OFFICIALLY ‘TOO MUCH FOOTBALL’

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“What I will caution the NFL is that if you start giving the fans too much, yeah, you can make more money but you water down the product.There has to be some kind of balance with the two.”

The NFL continued to be a ratings boom during the 2025 season.A Week 14 game between the Chicago Bears andGreen Bay Packers

Jordan Love of the Green Bay Packers takes a bite out of a turkey leg after the Lions game at Ford Field on Nov.27, 2025, in Detroit.(Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

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While the NFL remains popular, the league will also have to face the challenge of making sure playersstay as healthy as they canto keep the product as good as it has been.