For years, the NFL required teams to play only once per year with a four-day turnaround. Last year, the NFL got rid of that rule.
Now, multiple teams play multiple games with only three days off between games. This year, thirteen teams do it twice.
They are: the Jets, the 49ers, the Seahawks, the Rams, the Bengals, the Browns, the Dolphins, the Cowboys, the Giants, the Bears, the Steelers, the Ravens, and the Texans.
For Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Houston, one short week happens between Sunday an Thursday, and the other lands on Saturday to Wednesday, for Christmas.
The Chiefs also have a five-day turnaround to Black Friday and a four-day turnaround between Saturday, December 21 and Wednesday, December 25.
Although the league justifies short-week football by claiming that the injury rate is no different for games played with six days in between and games played with three days in between, that position overlooks the cumulative wear and tear on a human body by playing games on short rest. Along with the overall disruption to routine and limited time to plan and prepare for a game.
Doing it twice in a season definitely creates a disadvantage for the teams that get the short-week short straw. Nothing the NFL says to justify the maneuver changes that.
UPDATE 9:10 p.m. ET: The prior version of this item incorrectly pegged the number at nine. I forgot to include the Thanksgiving games. Four teams that play on Thanksgiving — Bears, Giants, Cowboys, and Dolphins — have one other short-week game.