Monday open thread: How many preseason games do you want?

The 2017 NFL preseason schedule is set to be released on Monday at 5 p.m. ET. We already know from a credible rumor that the Detroit Lions will be hosting the New England Patriots in Week 3 of the preseason, but the rest remains a mystery.

Per usual, the Lions will likely be playing some local opponent to minimize travel during the meaningless games. That likely means a matchup with teams like the Browns and Bills, who seem to be on the Lions’ preseason schedule every year.

But as the preseason rolls around every year, we get caught in the discussion of reducing the number of games played before the regular season. Players will undoubtedly get injured during the exhibition games, causing fans and analysts to freak out about the nature of preseason game. And they aren’t that fun to watch, making them hard to market, especially when season ticket holders have to pay full price for them.

So today’s Question of the Day is:

How many preseason games do you think there should be?

My answer: Four. While I don’t want to see important players injured in the preseason, nor do I really enjoy watching the preseason, I think the four games are a necessary evil. Without a fourth preseason game, a guy like Kerry Hyder may have never been discovered. In the fourth game of the 2015 preseason, Hyder picked up three fumble recoveries. In the 2016 finale, Hyder tallied three sacks.

The point being, for a roster that starts at 90 players, four games are necessary to get a full evaluation of everyone. Teams that are so worried about an injury to one of their players are welcome to sit them for the entire preseason. I know getting warm before Week 1 is important to some, but putting a player on the football field is a risk, whether it’s for one game or four.

We don’t have to like it. The NFL doesn’t have to make money on it. But the league needs four preseason games.