Kansas City Chiefs guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif said he will be out this NFL season due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“This is one of the most difficult decisions I have ever had to make, but I must follow my convictions and do what I think is right for me personally,” he wrote in a long statement on Instagram. “That is why I have decided to take the Exclusion Option negotiated by the League and the NFLPA and officially opt for the 2020 season.”
Duvernay-Tardif is the first player to publicly announce that he is choosing to exit the season, according to NBC Sports. The athlete, who graduated with a medical degree, has been working as an assistant at a long-term care facility in his hometown of Montreal, Quebec, according to the media and NFL.com.
He wrote in his Instagram post that he knows the team’s medical staff will provide a safe environment for players, but he doesn’t want to take the risk.
“Being on the front line during this offseason has given me a different perspective on this pandemic and the stress it places on people and our health system,” he said. “I cannot afford to transmit the virus in our own communities simply to play the sport I love. If I am going to take risks, I will do it by caring for patients.”
The Chiefs did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Friday, the NFL and the National Football League Players Association agreed on an exclusion plan that would pay a stipend to players who wish to stay out of the 2020 season.
During a press conference Saturday, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said he respects his teammate’s decision.
“He is a guy who has been on the front line working with the people who suffer from COVID every day and dedicating all that time and all that work,” said Mahomes. “He understands it and his decision was that he wanted to stay there; he wanted to continue helping in that capacity and I know it was difficult for him, but you respect the decision that he put his thoughts aside and do what he thought was best for him. helping his community and the world as he sees it. “
Mahomes said he has “a little concern,” but added that protocols exist to keep everyone safe.
“It made me feel even better than I thought when I came in, knowing how much the NFL and NFLPA have really invested to make sure we can be as safe as possible,” he said.
