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NFL training camps are scheduled to start this week, and rookies are set to report on Tuesday, but there is one key detail that hasn’t been worked out. NFL players are dissatisfied with the ambiguity of the safety guidelines in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Like most of their peers in the NFL, several members of the New England Patriots took to social media to voice their concerns.
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NFLPA and New England Patriots Players Take to the Twitter to Voice Their Concerns
The National Football League Players Association tweeted this image which combined tweets from several veteran players. The Patriots’ Cody Davis retweeted it:
Veteran running back, Super Bowl hero and one of the Patriots’ locker room leaders James White tweeted the following:
The NFL needs to do their part by putting the right safety protocols in place before we begin to play, in order for us to protect ourselves and our families if we want to have a full season #WeWanttoPlay
Like many players, White fears that without the proper safety measures in place, COVID-19 could run rampant in the NFL and through the families and friends of the players. In addition to the physical harm the virus could have on the players and more at-risk friends and family, becoming infected could lead to missed games and a shortened season.
If the season is shortened, that will lead to less revenue taken in by the teams which will have a direct impact on the salary cap for 2021. That could lead to fewer jobs for players per team and lower salaries. Neither of those things is good for the players, so you can’t blame them for having concerns on any level.
Devin and Jason McCourty seconded White and others’ tweets:
@NFL we love this game. Do the right thing and make the game safe for us and our families… #WeWantToPlay
Patriots newly signed wide receiver Damiere Byrd resents the fact that it appears the players have to negotiate fair safety regulations into a labor agreement.
Our health and safety should be first and foremost. But somehow we have to negotiate that? #WeWanttoPlay
Will There Be a 2020 NFL Season?
This is the million-dollar question floating about through the minds of most football fans. My answer to this question is yes, but I’m not sure that’s even a good thing. As much as I love football and miss the game, without better compliance from Americans, there is no guarantee it will be safe to carry on with the sport in 2020–especially not with fans in the stands, and that’s even with limited capacity in stadiums.
That said, the collective greed of NFL owners and the country’s obsession with the sport will likely win out, and if that means there will be some positive cases, and tough situations, it would appear the league is ready to allow that to happen.
Let’s hope for as safe of an NFL season as possible, and more importantly, let’s everyone do their part to drop the curve on the virus.
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- Patriots Vets Most Likely to be Cut Before the Season: Report