Getty Brian Hill #23 of the Atlanta Falcons.
NFL players had until 4 p.m. today to opt-out of the 2020 NFL season. There has been no sign that any Falcons players have decided to opt-out yet.
NFL players have until 4 p.m. to opt out of the season. The Falcons have been given no indication at this time that any players will do so, although these things sometimes happen unexpectedly. See: Braves/Markakis.
Also, follow the Heavy on Falcons Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors, and content!
Everyone Has Different Circumstances
Players who have chosen to opt-out will get their contract rolled over into the following season and they get a stipend.
Matt Ryan shared some advice to those who were pondering the decision and made it clear that he won’t be opting out.
“I think everybody’s circumstances are different,” Ryan told Pro Football Talk. “You have to do what’s best for yourself and your family and your loved ones around you. I think that if you’re around people who are at risk, I’d encourage you to think really long and hard about it.
“For me, specifically I’m in a situation where my day-to-day is not surrounded by people who are at high risk and we’re kind of able to bubble our little world and make sure that we are being as safe as possible. I feel comfortable coming in and getting ready to start the season.”
Falcons Are Doing Their Best to Keep Players Safe
Each team is on their own when it comes to setting up safety protocols for their team. While some players have ended up on the list, the majority has not.
The Falcons are going above and beyond keeping players safe. Falcons QB1 Matt Ryan weighed in on what the Falcons have done so far.
“We’re lucky that we’ve got a lot of space and a massive setup,” Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan told Pro Football Talk. “For us to be able to kind of space out and make sure we are up to code on all of the protocols, we have these kind of townhomes that we stay in during training camp that are built right behind our facility, which we’re able to use as our locker room right now. We each have our own individual bathroom and bed and changing area, and all that kind of stuff.
“We’re uniquely built to kind of handle this, and our staff here has done an amazing job of trying to make it safe as possible for everybody and appreciate them doing that.”
Players are tested daily and the NFL is still working on creating a mask that players can play in.
Ricardo Allen More Concerned for Coaches Than Himself
Falcons safety Ricardo Allen is putting all of his trust into how that Falcons have been making sure the players are safe.
He’s also relying heavily on the testing.
“I try to believe in those tests”, Allen told ESPN. If those tests come back and show me that I’m negative and I know that I’ve been doing the right things. That’s giving me my freedom to go out there. I hope that everyone can get tested every day and they get the stuff back as fast as possible. I just try to keep it at that.”
While he knows he’s not immune to catching the virus, he’s more concerned for the coaches’ health.
“I don’t think I’m immune to it. I don’t think I can’t catch it. I think that I work on my immune system I work on my body and healthy all the time. I’m a little bit more nervous for the coaches actually. I’m more nervous for them because they’re the ones who are higher up in age.”
Thankfully, it looks like the Falcons have a pretty good setup which made all players feel safe enough to stay.
READ NEXT: Todd Gurley Rocking Falcons New All-Black Uniforms [WATCH]