The problem with NFL is injury

While I agree that the holdouts are tiresome, the problem is that so many NFL careers end on a dime.

I would argue, however, by holding out, a player increases his chances for injury. Practices train the player to play the game and take the hits. I feel Orlando Pace's career went down hill quickly after he started holding out every year. I personally wouldn't have voted him into the Hall Of Fame, because I feel he lived mostly off the early years of his career and wasn't a high level player for some of those seasons later in his career after he started holding out. He also started to get various nagging injuries after his holdouts. The worst part of the Pace's holdouts was he didn't do it for money as he planned to sign the franchise tag every year. He did it to skip out on his teammates because he didn't want to have to do the work.

I do think Donald has a higher work ethic than Pace, so I suspect he will be better prepared if he returns, but still not going through training camp to me is a big disadvantage and believe the probability of him getting an injury actually increases versus decreasing because he wasn't exposed during preseason.

It is really sad because he is the best player the Rams have had in many years.