The NFL logo appears at an event in the Manhattan district of New York City, New York, USA, November 30, 2017. REUTERS / Carlo Allegri
NEW YORK (Reuters) – NFL Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith reprimanded players participating in group practice on Sunday, saying they were unsafe as the COVID-19 cases they continue to increase in the United States.
The union’s medical director had previously said players should avoid practicing together, but top players, including quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Tom Brady, posted pictures and videos on social media that showed they mocked the advice and practiced with teammates last week.
“Those practices are not conducive to player safety,” NFLPA Executive Director Smith told USA Today’s SportsPulse program.
“They are not in the best interest of protecting our players heading to training camp and I don’t think they are in the best interest of us spending an entire season.”
The league has not explicitly banned private group practice, but Smith said they had the potential to complicate negotiations between the player group and the NFL, as the two sides chart a way forward in the COVID-19 era.
“We have to negotiate with the league about what happens to a player if he tests positive during the season,” Smith said.
“Is that player going to the injured reserve? Are they going to GO anytime soon? If the virus test is positive after training camp, is it a work-related injury?
“All the things players may want to do during the offseason have a direct impact on how well we can negotiate protections for them once the season starts.”
The NFL has forged ahead with its plans to start the regular season on September 10, but last week was forced to postpone its NFL Hall of Fame exhibition game on August 6, the curtain on the season of soccer, for a year due to the new coronavirus.
Reporting by Amy Tennery; Editing by Ken Ferris
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