Daily Madden: The New, Gentler NFL Practice Routine
(KCBS) - The Green Bay Packers call it 'Feel Good Friday.' Instead of the traditional Friday field practice, players get deep tissue massages and other treatments to get them ready for Sunday.
"The longer you go in the season, the longer it takes your body to heal to get ready to play another game," John Madden told the KCBS Radio morning crew, endorsing the 'Feel Good Friday' idea. "Forgetting injuries, I'm just talking about getting banged up... Early in the season you feel fine by Tuesday. (It takes) until Wednesday around the middle of the season. And then towards the end of the season (it takes) until Thursday. And then right at the end of the season, maybe your body doesn't come back until Friday or Saturday. So I think some of these things have probably always been needed, and been something that would solve a lot of problems, are just being used now."
Madden said it will take time for more teams to buy into the idea.
"You get some old time coaches, some old time managers, they won't listen to those types of things," Madden said. "I think (Chip Kelly) proved to a lot of people that these did work."
With Kelly now in the NFL as head coach of the Eagles, Madden does see a trend.
"They always say take care of your body and your body will take care of you and all those things. And the most important thing is being ready to play." (6:45)
Daily Madden
(Listen to the John Madden segment live weekday mornings at 8:15 and Monday and Friday mornings at 9:15 on KCBS All News 740 AM/106.9 FM.)
