Six Patriots (and counting) Have Now Opted Out of the 2020 Season, What Are We Doing Here NFL?

From the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic that started in mid-March (which feels like it was roughly 150 years ago), the NFL of all the big-time professional sports leagues in America seemed the most difficult to safely return. While college football hasn't officially been cancelled yet for this fall, it's probably only a matter of time with so many players testing positive for Coronavirus since going back to their respective schools this summer. MLB started its laughably unorganized 60-game regular season last Thursday and already, there is an outbreak with the Miami Marlins (shocker!) suspending activities indefinitely after almost half of their team came down with this dreaded ailment. The NHL (with hub cities in Toronto and Edmonton) and the NBA (all at Disney World) have put together the most comprehensive plans for returning to action, they realized that the best option was to create bubble cities. With the sheer size of NFL rosters not to mention coaching and support staffs, that has never really been discussed for the world's most profitable sports league.

With teams around the NFL gathering at various times this week for the start of the most bizarre training camps in history (no preseason games whatsoever), you are starting to see players choose to opt out for 2020 with that deadline quickly approaching on Saturday. Perhaps it shouldn't come as a surprise that the New England Patriots (who have so many respected and smart veterans that have won multiple Super Bowls) are at the forefront of this topic because they've had a whopping six players so far punt on this ill-fated campaign. Illustrating how much things can drastically change in a single day during a pandemic, it all started last night as their new fullback Dan Vitale along with a backup offensive lineman Najee Toran (who?) were the first ones to opt out. No big deal, Bill Belichick loves fullbacks more than any other NFL head coach from the last 20+ years but you can literally find that dinosaur position anywhere (boxing gyms, MMA misfits, local rugby leagues, etc.). As for Toran, I had never heard of him before yesterday so again, no huge loss there.

Today was the sobering reality check for Pats fans as a team captain and one of their best overall players-linebacker Dont'a Hightower-as well as three other extremely valuable guys (in their roles)-running back/special teams ace Brandon Bolden, right tackle Marcus Cannon and safety Patrick Chung-all understandably opted out of 2020. I'm not usually into doom or gloom, but honestly what's the point of having the NFL this season if it poses so many long-term health risks to everyone involved? At least the league will rightfully pay guys who make the decision not to play based on a myriad of reasons (family, friends, personal health, etc), remember this is the same shameful group of owners that has no use for guaranteed contracts despite a majority of players having very short professional careers which are then compounded by life-long injuries and issues.

Don't get me wrong, I love football at every level. I never played it formally but there are countless lessons and positive elements to be gained from such a brutal activity. A fall and winter without high school football, NCAA football or the NFL would be bizarre beyond belief. Finally, fantasy football is by far the best of all fantasy sports. For instance, I'm in a Yahoo league with many buddies from high school that is the main thing that helps us keep in touch from year to year. Still, if the pandemic has taught has anything (let's be real, hopefully it's shined a light on many aspects of your own life), it's that sports aren't everything. Trust me, I am obsessed with sports. I have been a sportswriter for almost fourteen years (damn, I'm old) since I graduated from Providence College. There are more sides to me than just sports but I am as into them as anyone I know. That's not a humblebrag either. Regardless, putting people's health on the line for a football game or season is beyond reckless and absurd. The NFL is such a physically demanding sport plus you cannot socially distance yourself from your opponent or wear a mask while you play, so it is impossible to prevent positive Covid-19 tests from happening in large numbers with teams becoming the Marlins of football in no time. Woof.

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