While many in the sporting world believe it’s OK for Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett and other players of his stature to opt out of bowl games, I am not among them.

Sure, it’s easy to understand their reasons for not playing. The NFL draft is only a few months away and millions of dollars may be at stake, so why risk injury?

The problem is in the message they’re sending.

It’s OK to be part of a team and remain loyal to your teammates until your personal stakes become too high.

Pickett played in the ACC title game. He even risked injury by making a long run downfield on the “fake slide” play. So why was it OK to play in that game, but not the Peach Bowl?

Where do we draw the line here?

Some high school athletes, upon learning what sport he or she will pursue in college, stop playing other sports in high school. Others play on.

Butler senior Charlie Kreinbucher is headed to Bucknell to play football. He’s still playing basketball for the Golden Tornado. Colin Patterson is going to be playing baseball at Indiana (Pa.) University. He’s still playing baskeball for the Tornado as well.

Cooper Baxter will also be playing baseball at IUP. He stuck with wrestling for Butler this winter and suffered an injury.

Do you think he regrets choosing to finish out his high school wrestling career? I seriously doubt it.

When you’re part of a team, you’re there for the team. It shouldn’t matter how meaningful or meaningless the game in question might be.

To my knowledge, no player from Alabama or Georgia has “opted out” of the national playoffs. Many players on both rosters will likely be selected in the NFL draft.

If those schools were playing in some other bowl game, odds are a number of them would have opted out.

This is a trend that began a number of years ago. It’s disturbing. If a player is that fearful of injury, why is he participating in that sport in the first place?

Mississippi quarterback Matt Corral — considered a potential high draft pick — played in the Sugar Bowl and suffered a lower leg injury in the first half. Some criticized him for playing and putting his future at risk.

Corral’s injury turned out not to be serious, but what if it was? What if he blows out an ACL in a non-contact drill or gets hurt on the practice field at some point? Such things happen in sports. Would that be any less tragic?

Remaining loyal to your team should supercede any fear of injury. That team and its coaches, after all, helped you become good enough to move up to the next level in the first place.

When I played Little League baseball, I stayed with a friend while my family went on vacation because I didn’t want to desert my team during the playoffs.

Yes, times change ... but not always for the good.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle