NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith told reporters in a pre-Super Bowl press conference Wednesday that he wants to eliminate the NFL Scouting Combine, saying that the process allows teams to "engage in intrusive employment actions."

ESPN's Josh Weinfuss relayed the remarks.

"So, we're now in an era where we know exactly how fast these guys can run, how much they can lift, how far they can jump, do all of those things. Why do we insist on them showing up in Indianapolis? It's not for anything physical, right? It's for the teams to be able to engage in intrusive employment actions that don't exist anywhere else."

Smith expounded upon the rationale behind his opinion, noting that the combine rips players away from their last semester at school for the exclusive tryout. He then added:

"As soon as you show up, you have to waive all of your medical rights and you not only have to sit there and endure embarrassing questions. And I think that's horrible, and I don't wanna pooh pooh any of that, but would you want your son to spend hours inside of an MRI [machine] and then be evaluated by 32 separate team doctors who are, by the way, are only doing it for one reason? What's the reason? To decrease your draft value."

Smith isn't the only person to feel negatively about the combine. NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent, a former star NFL defensive back, likened it to a "slave auction" in comments made last December.

The most criticized (and justifiably so) part of the combine has been the interview process, which has notoriously featured offensive and inappropriate questions. Steven Ruiz of USA Today relayed a bunch in a 2018 article, some of which can be found below.

The NFL sent a memo in January 2022 warning teams that inappropriate interview questions could lead to significant punishments, including the loss of a draft pick and fines.

Smith notably expressed concern about players waiving their medical rights to be examined head to toe by a litany of team doctors at the combine. He also said that agents and players need to better understand the combine's purpose.

"It's gotta start with players and their agents understanding that the combine today has nothing to do with how fast you run, how high you jump, and how much you can lift," Smith said. He also noted you don't need a combine to track physical traits.

The combine will still go on this year, however. It will take place from February 28 to March 6 in Indianapolis. The NFL has invited 319 players.