When you want an incredibly astute opinion about a controversial topic in the NFL, going to Richard Sherman for answers is a sure bet.

That's exactly what The Players Tribune did when they sat down with the Seattle Seahawks' cornerback and Stanford University graduate to discuss NFL players dealing with injuries and how the league handles them in addition to the overall relationship between the athletes and the shield.

"We really don’t have reason to trust the NFL, and I don’t think they mind either way," Sherman said, as part of his powerful statement about players and the league.

"It’s hard to stress player safety in such a violent game because at the end of the day, ratings sell, people want to buy tickets, people are going to come to games regardless," Sherman said. "Now, does the league care when Cam Newton gets hit in the face five times and pretty much knocked out of the game [during Week 1]? And they have all these spotters and people that watch the game specifically for these reasons, and you see the guy on his hands and knees shaking his head after he just took a shot to the face. And they’re saying they didn’t see any indications that he needed to come out of the game."

And the 28-year-old, three-time Pro Bowler was just warming up.

"If you take the reigning MVP out of a game in the last couple minutes with the game on the line, he’d be frustrated, the fans would be frustrated, but it would be in line with what you said, [what] you want to see in terms of player safety," Sherman continued. "But you didn’t because it would affect the ratings, because it would affect the game. They’re a bottom-line business. If you can increase their bottom line, then they’ll love you. They’ll do everything they can to put you out more, to market you, to make sure the fans buy your jersey, to put your jersey out because it makes them more money. If you’re not making them money, then at the end of the day, they’re going to find somebody else."

When it's all said and done, Sherman says the league is going to do what it can to maximize revenue streams of the owners and their teams, while the player's union is going to protect its players.

"At the end of the day, they’re going to do what they have to do to make their money and as much money as they can for the owners," Sherman said. "And our union’s going to do what they can to protect the interests of the players and the rights of the players and help make them as much money as possible. That’s the way it’s always going to be."

Watch Sherman deliver his pointed statements in full below.

Agree with what he's saying? As a tried and true player in his sixth NFL season, it's hard to argue with him here.

What do you think?

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