"Even though football was created to harden young men in America, that is no longer its purpose" - NFL player believes football should no longer be compared to all-out war

The NFL and war have long drawn comparisons from pundits and journalists alike. Often terms such as trench warfare, firepower, loose cannon, no quarter and friendly fire have been used to describe scenarios in the NFL. But is there any truth to the comparisons?

NFL long snapper and naval graduate Joe Cardona touched upon football and its parallels to war in today’s world in an opinion piece for Sports Illustrated's MMQB. Cardona, who has played all seven of his seasons in the league with the New England Patriots, wrote:

“At its purest, it fundamentally mimics war. Offensively, one must simply advance through resistance to acquire new territory until you eventually reach the objective. And, defensively, it is your mission to slow the advance and push to take the offensive.”

Cardona asserted that football no longer mimics war.

“But football no longer mimics war or the values held close by our armed services.”

Cardona acknowledged that the strategy within a stadium and on the field of battle share many features. But for him, football is no longer war. He noted that although the game was formed to toughen up young men in America, that's no longer its purpose in today's world:

“While the strategy of the game in a stadium and that on the battlefield still share many comparisons, football is not war. Even though football was created to harden young men in America—so they remained ready for potential combat—that is no longer its purpose."

He went on to say:

"The commitment and dedication to country and mission by military members are not factors in today’s football generation, despite growing up during a 20-year conflict.”

Cardona also noted that you don’t see people demanding transfers in the military:

“Young college players are often seen entering the transfer portal at the first sign of resistance, and players in the NFL demand trades and refuse to play as a contract negotiation tactic. That does not happen in the United States military. Yet, these young men have every right to; football is not war.”

Joe Cardona's NFL career

Super Bowl LI - New England Patriots v Atlanta Falcons

Cardona is entering his eighth season in the league with the Patriots, who selected him in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. With the Patriots, he’s won two Super Bowl rings.

The Patriots have the tough task of toppling early Super Bowl favorites the Buffalo Bills in 2022. The Bills defeated New England 47-17 in the Wild Card round of the 2021 playoffs, a defeat that will not fade quickly from memory.

Quarterback Mac Jones will also look to build on his decent rookie campaign and it will be interesting to see if the Patriots can reclaim the AFC East this year. With only a few months until the season kicks off, we won't have to wait too long before we find out.

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