NFLPA: No agreement on NFL coronavirus opt-outs yet
Earlier on Friday, Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive tackle Donovan Smith took to Instagram to voice concerns about participating in the 2020 NFL season amid the worsening coronavirus pandemic.
The NFL Players Association does not yet have protection for Smith or any others who would stay home.
On Friday, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated's MMQB tweeted information that NFLPA Senior Director of Player Affairs Don Davis shared with players during a call.
Davis said no agreements currently exist regarding players who would opt-out of returning to clubs, if the coronavirus will be deemed a "football injury," or when players must report for camps:
Davis also suggested the players may either get their wish for a canceled preseason or that the start of the regular season could be pushed back due to the uncontrolled virus outbreak:
Unsurprisingly, Davis added negotiations are ongoing, meaning everything on the existing NFL schedule is subject to change:
Major League Soccer, MLB, the NBA, NHL, and National Women's Soccer League all provided athletes with varying opt-out protocols for return-to-play formats. Considering the NFL/NFLPA collective bargaining agreement reportedly has no "force majeure" clause, players who wish to sit will look to still receive paychecks.
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