A total of 66 players opted out of the 2020 National Football League season due to concerns of the coronavirus pandemic.
What We Know:
- Under an agreement between the NFL and NFL Players Association signed on July 24, players had the choice to opt-out of the 2020 NFL season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If a player wished to opt-out, he must have provided his club with written notification by August 6 at 4 p.m.
- Players could opt-out under two categories: a voluntary opt-out or a higher-risk (medical) opt-out. Voluntary opt-out means the player’s contract will be paused and all the provisions of that contract will be applicable for the following season, but players will be eligible for a stipend of $150,000, treated as a salary advance. Medical opt-out players must have a diagnosis in their medical records of at least one of the CDC risk factors list and will be eligible for a stipend of $350,000, which is not part of a salary advance.
- A total of 66 players decided to opt-out of the season, including 20 offensive linemen, 11 defensive linemen, 11 wide receivers, 8 linebackers, 6 cornerbacks, 4 running backs, and 3tight ends and safeties. No quarterbacks, kickers, or punters chose to opt-out.
- Only 3 teams in the league reported having no one opting out: Pittsburgh Steelers, Atlanta Falcons, and the Los Angeles Chargers. The team hit the hardest by the opt-outs is the New England Patriots, who already lost their star quarterback Tom Brady to Tampa Bay in free agency. The Patriots saw eight players choosing to opt-out.
- “Those are not easy decisions to make as a player, especially when you love the game,” said Broncos safety Justin Simmons, who will play this season. “But family will always come first. And I’ve had a lot of difficult conversations with my wife and, yeah, it’s not ever going to be easy. Just like for the rest of America, it’s not easy on anyone right now.”
- A player can still decide to leave the league after the deadline due to changed coronavirus circumstances and he would still receive a stipend as long as he didn’t exceed that amount while he was active in the league, but there is no other financial compensation. Players have the opportunity to medically opt-out if “a close family member gets seriously sick with COVID or if they themselves are newly diagnosed with a high-risk condition.”
A complete list of players who have opted out can be found here. The 2020 NFL season is expected to kick off on September 10, with the Houston Texans playing Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs at 8:20 p.m Eastern.
