Buffalo Bills GM: Football not for "humans"

BUFFALO, N.Y., May 24 (UPI) -- A powerful sound bite was recently added to the pile of evidence vouching for increased player safety.

That sound came Tuesday from an NFL general manager saying that people shouldn't play the sport.

"This is the game of football," Buffalo Bills' Doug Whaley told WGR 550 radio. "Injuries are part of it. It's a violent game that I personally don't think humans are supposed to play."

Whaley was answering questions about star wide receiver Sammy Watkins. Watkins, 22, is recovering from a broken foot. He played in 13 games in 2015, his second season in the league since being drafted out of Clemson in 2014. Watkins will likely sit out training camp and the preseason.

"I wouldn't say [he's injury-prone]," Whaley told WGR 550. "If you look at his game log, he's only missed three games. So is he injury-prone? I wouldn't say that. Are things going to come up with a guy like this? We hope that gets limited in the future."

"These are going to come up," Whaley said. "We trust in our medical staff and we trust in each individual athlete to do what they have to do to get back on the field."

After being asked about Whaley's comments, Bills coach Rex Ryan told reporters about his adoration for football.

"I can say this, I love the game, I think it's the greatest sports," Ryan told reporters, according to Pro Football Talk. "I know it's the greatest sport, it's the greatest game and we all know how I feel about it."

Last month, Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians claimed that football is "being attacked" by moms. In March, Arians told 'Monday Morning Quarterback': "People who say they won't let their son play [football] are fools."

In March, the New York Times reported that at least 100 diagnosed concussions were not reported by the NFL in data the league used to "downplay effects of head injuries on players."

The NFL immediately demanded a retraction of the article, but the Times declined.