Barring any late additions, the Seattle Seahawks will have the majority of their players participating in the upcoming season. Based on an agreement between the NFL and NFL Players’ Association, players had until 4 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, August 6 to notify their respective team that they will opt out of playing this season given concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.
Seahawks guard Chance Warmack was one of the first NFL players to opt out of the upcoming season, but it looks like he will be the only Seattle player who will not play as a result of COVID-19 concerns. This continues to be a fluid situation, but the NFL rules indicate the Seahawks will have the majority of their roster available for 2020.
Players opting out will have their contract pushed back a year with their 2020 salary activating in 2021. Those who opt out will receive a $150,000 stipend while those considered high-risk to contract the virus qualify for a higher amount of $350,000, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
So far, the Seahawks have had good fortune in training camp with their players staying healthy. The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta reported that the Seahawks are without a positive COVID-19 test nine days into training camp.
Seahawks Players Can Now Only Opt Out If Their Circumstances Regarding the Virus Significantly Change
According to NFL Network, now that the deadline has passed players can only opt out of the season if their circumstances regarding the virus changes. An example of this would be a close family member testing positive for COVID-19, and the players would have seven days to make a decision on their playing status for the rest of the season. Players could try to work around this issue by retiring but this would open up an opportunity for teams to pursue signing bonuses to be returned.
Warmack had a family member that contracted the virus and opted not to play this season. Seahawks general manager John Schneider noted that the team understands Warmack’s decision and is sticking by the guard.
“Chance had a situation that was very personal that we totally respect,” Schneider noted on The Peter King Podcast. “… We’ll be ready if other people decide to opt out, and we won’t hold any animosity towards anybody who wants to opt out. We’ll respect their opinions, and we’ll be ready in terms of having an emergency list of players ready to keep competing every week.”
The Seahawks Continue to be Linked to Additional Roster Moves
The Seahawks may not have any additional players opting out of the season, but that does not mean Seattle’s roster will look the same when Week 1 arrives. There continue to be rumblings that the Seahawks are looking to make additional signings. The Athletic’s Jay Glazer believes the Seahawks are not done making “splashy moves.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re not done making splashy moves,” Glazer explained. “Their GM John Schneider has been one of, if not the most, aggressive GM in the NFL over the last decade or so. He goes for it. When they drafted Russell Wilson, they had just traded for Matt Flynn and gave him money, they still drafted and started Wilson. Oh, well. They go for it.”
One area to watch is the defensive line given the Seahawks’ struggles getting to the quarterback last season. Most recently, the Seahawks have been linked to Everson Griffen and Clay Matthews. Both players played college football at USC under Carroll giving them some familiarity with the Seahawks.
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Seahawks Reveal Final List of Players Opting Out of Season