No big names opt out of NFL season before deadline
It appears rumors suggesting that multiple NFL superstars could opt out of the 2020 season ahead of Thursday's 4 pm ET deadline to do so were exaggerated.
ESPN's Adam Schefter tweeted the list of final known opt-outs, and not a single All-Pro was among those who elected to sit amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic:
As noted by NFL.com, players who voluntarily opted out received $150,000 treated as a salary advance for a contract that was tolled to the 2021 season. Opt outs deemed "high risk" received a $350,000 stipend that isn't a salary advance.
Players may opt out down the road if they're diagnosed with a condition that makes them "high risk" for COVID-19 or if a family member is directly affected by the coronavirus or a related ailment.
Buffalo Bills All-Pro cornerback Tre’Davious White chose to play after he considered opting out through Thursday. Denver Broncos All-Pro linebacker Von Miller, who suffers from asthma and tested positive for the coronavirus during the spring, recently admitted he thought about sitting but ultimately decided against it.
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. made headlines when he told Lane Florsheim of the Wall Street Journal "we're not ready for football season" and added, "I just feel like the season shouldn't happen and I'm prepared for it to not happen and I wouldn't mind not having it," but the 27-year-old did not opt out.
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