As he prepares for Super Bowl XLVII, Baltimore Ravens safety Bernard Pollard said he doesn't think there will be a Super Bowl LXXVII.
"Thirty years from now, I don't think it will be in existence," he told CBS Sports. "I could be wrong. It's just my opinion, but I think with the direction things are going -- where (NFL rules makers) want to lighten up, and they're throwing flags and everything else -- there's going to come a point where fans are going to get fed up with it."
At a time when the NFL's popularity is sky-high, Pollard believes that an evolving game with bigger, faster, stronger players will lead to a catastrophic hit that will signify the end.
"The only thing I'm waiting for ... and, Lord, I hope it doesn't happen ... is a guy dying on the field," he said. "We've had everything else happen there except for a death. We understand what we signed up for, and it sucks. ... Like I said, I hope I'm wrong, but I just believe one day there's going to be a death that takes place on the field because of the direction we're going."
It's interesting to hear the forewarning from Pollard, who has been known in the NFL as one of the hardest hitters. The lasting image from the AFC Championship Game will be Pollard's helmet-to-helmet shot that knocked New England Patriots running back Stevan Ridley from the game.
Call us biased, but while Pollard's concerns are valid, fans won't stop watching because of flags or fines. If anything, the increase in offensive numbers that have come with rule changes has endeared the game to more casual fans.
Follow Kevin Patra on Twitter @kpatra.
