Report: NFL, union discussing broad COVID-19 opt-out clause for players
The NFL and NFLPA are negotiating a COVID-19 opt-out clause for players for the planned upcoming season, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports.
According to the report, both sides are in agreement that players will be permitted to opt out of the 2020 season for a broad set of reasons including general concerns about playing during the pandemic.
“My understanding is both the union and the league intend to have an opt-out for players who have either a pre-existing condition, family with pre-existing conditions, just general concerns over COVID-19, would not want to play this season,” Pelissero said on “NFL Now” Wednesday.
Details still being worked out
It appears that the two sides are still negotiating to determine what the deadline for opting out will be. Pelissero reports that a date is yet to be determined. NFL training camps are scheduled to begin on July 28.
The NFL reportedly plans to cut the preseason from four to two weeks, but the NFLPA is pushing to eliminate the preseason entirely amid COVID-19 concerns.
What the NBA’s doing
There were no details reported on what an opt-out would look like for players. NBA players are permitted to opt out without penalty beyond losing checks for games missed after the league’s July 31 restart at the Disney World bubble. A handful of NBA players have taken that option.
With the COVID-19 pandemic worsening across the country and the nature of tackle football requiring close contact, it seems likely that some NFL players will take that option as well.
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