With the NFL facility closed for several months, some players have become creative in an attempt to train and practice on their own and with their teammates. In particular, new Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady hosted pitching sessions with his new Tampa Bay teammates.
In response to these trainings, NFLPA doctor Dr. Thom Mayer advised players to stop activities immediately, while the NFL and the players’ association figured out how to move forward.
Despite Dr. Mayer’s plea, Brady continued to participate in launch sessions with teammates, and he was not alone. Three days after Dr. Thom Mayer advised the players to stop, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson shared a video of a workout with catcher DK Metcalf.
Speaking to USA Today Sports on Sunday, NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith reiterated Dr. Mayer’s message that practice should stop, explaining that “those practices are not in the best interest of the players’ safety.”
Smith, while aiming his target at two of the NFL’s biggest stars, has the best interest of the players in mind. If Wilson, Brady, or any other player hires COVID-19 while participating, they could land on their team’s non-soccer related injury list, meaning they would not be paid until they could be off the list.
Also, in the worst case scenario, they could be forced to pay part or all of their signing bonus for the 2020 season. For a Brady or Wilson, lost money may not be a big problem. But for a player on the brink of the NFL, landing on the NFI roster could have a massive and lasting impact.
After Smith’s message on Sunday, we’ll see how players respond with training camp just a month away.
