With the MLB season about to start and the NBA and NHL nearing their own resumptions, there are many questions surrounding the 2020 NFL season. Should the NFL cancel the season or try to play the season safely?
The NFL and NFLPA are having talks about what the protocols should be for the 2020 season. The NFLPA has asked for daily coronavirus testing, elimination of all preseason games, financial and other compensation for players opting not to play due to COVID, and the promise of not decreasing the 2021 salary cap.
One of the major issues in play is whether COVID-19 should be classified as a non-football injury, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.
Houston Texans player representative J.J. Watt posted a list of questions that players need answers to before training camps open. The star defensive player said that the players want to play.
In the interest of having everyone on the same page in terms of what we know and don’t know at this time, here are a few things I’ve learned being on four NFLPA calls in the last two weeks with hundreds of other players.
Keep in mind our rookies are scheduled to report in 48 hrs pic.twitter.com/wAH1XyQenf
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) July 16, 2020
It’s worth noting that Watt has threatened not to play if players are required to wear face shields.
So what happens if the players don’t get the answers they need? They could opt out, but will they?
There’s a good chance that they will elect not to play if they don’t get the answers they need because 72 players have already tested positive for COVID-19, according to an NFLPA database.
With fears of a second wave of coronavirus in the fall, there’s a real chance that players could contract the disease during a game. The NFL, which still plans to start the season on time on Sept. 10, should just cancel the season. If that doesn’t happen, expect many players to opt-out with safety concerns.
