Conversations about the upcoming NFL season pushing through amidst the pandemic seem to cannot find its end. The National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) voiced out its concerns as a union about opening training camps in places where COVID-19 infection rates are highest.
Speaking with Mark Maske of the Washington Post, a union source made the reservations clear.
“We have one question that encapsulates it all: Does it make sense for the NFL to open up training camps in ‘hot spot’ cities right now?” the NFLPA source said Tuesday.
Positive coronavirus cases along with death tolls continue to rise by the day. In fact, America has already tallied over 3.4 million positive cases, and over 136,000 death counts thus far. Several NFL-affiliated states and cities remain to be considered hotbeds of the pandemic. These include New York, Arizona, Texas, and Louisiana, among others. Florida also tallied record numbers in recent days, and a significant portion of the league is playing in places where the safety of the players is put in jeopardy.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers' left tackle Donovan Smith said last week that training camp “does not seem like a risk worth taking.” It seems more apparent that several others also echo the same sentiment.
NFL players will be called to report to their respective teams' training camp less than two weeks from now. The league together with the NFLPA has also decided to cut down the preseason games in half. The kickoff game of the upcoming 2020 season will commence on September 10, which will pit defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs against the Houston Texans.
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