The NFL and its players don’t seem to be on the same page.
The league sent out a memo on Saturday morning, setting the timeline for players from 30 teams (the Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Texans may have rookie reports earlier) to begin reporting to the training camps of the NFL, starting with the rookies on July 21.
But 49er stars like George Kittle and Richard Sherman joined a group of NFL players who voiced public criticism of the league’s lack of transparency regarding health and safety protocols for teams amid the pandemic of ongoing coronavirus.
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The NFL has ignored the safety recommendations of the experts THEY hired. We all love this game and we want to go out and compete with our brothers. The NFL needs to provide a safe work environment for us to do so. #We want to play
– Richard Sherman (@ RSherman_25) July 19, 2020
#We want to play
– George Kittle (@ gkittle46) July 19, 2020
Other NFL stars, including former NFL MVP quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Drew Brees, were among the many stars in the league who voiced their concerns on Twitter on Sunday morning.
We need soccer! We need sports! We need hope! The NFL’s unwillingness to follow the recommendations of its own medical experts will prevent that. If the NFL doesn’t do its part to keep players healthy, there’s no football in 2020. It’s that simple. Do it @NFL
– Drew Brees (@drewbrees) July 19, 2020
Getting ready to report this week hoping that @NFL comes to terms with safe and correct protocols so that we can feel protected playing the sport we love #WeWantToPlay
– Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) July 19, 2020
It worries me.
My wife is pregnant. @ The NFL training camp is about to begin …And there is still no clear plan on player health and family safety. 🤷🏾
We want to play soccer but we also want to protect our loved ones. #We want to play
– Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) July 19, 2020
Playing soccer and feeling safe at work MUST NOT be mutually exclusive! Time is running out and we need answers #WeWantToPlay pic.twitter.com/YPboNL47Mf
– Zach Ertz (@ ZERTZ_86) July 19, 2020
There will be no @NFL season if we don’t put the health and safety of the players first. Who plays the games if we are all sick? #We want to play
– DeForest Buckner (@DeForestBuckner) July 19, 2020
We all want to play this season, but we need to be sure to have a season! It’s time for @NFL to step up and do their part so that we players can be safe at work and play the game we love! #We want to play
– Carson Wentz (@cj_wentz) July 19, 2020
Do you want to watch soccer this year? We players must stay healthy for that to happen. @NFL needs to do its part to make football safe again in 2020. #WeWantToPlay
– Todd Gurley II (@ TG3II) July 19, 2020
Do you want to watch soccer this year? We players must stay healthy for that to happen. The NFL must do its part to make soccer safely back in 2020. Please address health and safety concerns so that we can play soccer this year. We want to play!
– Jared Goff (@ JaredGoff16) July 19, 2020
I want to play ball this year! But we are going to need @NFL to make sure they are listening to everyone and taking the necessary steps to make sure the players and their families are safe! #We want to play
– Derek Carr (@derekcarrqb) July 19, 2020
If the NFL and NFL players’ association can’t agree on protocols before Monday, the Chiefs and Texans rookies are expected to show up at their respective facilities on Monday. But the lack of a deal could leave the league open to a complaint, which seems likely given how publicly frustrated the NFL players seem to be.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Media gave a bit of context regarding the union’s particular problems, and many players seem to disagree.
Translating the #WeWantToPlay posts you’re looking at now: The joint medical committee recommended a 21-day acclimatization period. The NFL asked players to show up 2 weeks early to accommodate him; NFLPA said no. The NFL shortened the acclimatization period to accommodate 2 preseason games. Union wants 0.
– Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 19, 2020
This is in addition to the remaining questions about the language of voluntary exclusion, the frequency of the tests, etc. Clubs are enforcing administration rights by setting reporting dates; Players must appear or face discipline. If there is a complaint, it would be about an insecure work environment, as ported by player posts.
– Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 19, 2020
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Sherman is the 49ers union representative for the NFLPA, and has never been shy in voicing his concerns about the NFL’s response to the pandemic.
The players want an acclimatization period, and the NFLPA has already recommended canceling the entire preseason in early July to allow it.
Every American sports league has seen obstacles in their attempts to get back into action with the ongoing pandemic, and the NFL is the only one of the top four leagues in the United States that has not altered the 2020 regular season schedule of any way.
What is clear from today’s move is that NFL players Really I want to compete in a 2020 season. But they are also unwilling to jeopardize the health and safety of their families unless they feel that the league is doing everything possible to protect them.
