The NFL and NFLPA are still hashing out the specifics for the 2020 season amid the coronavirus pandemic. While both sides continue to discuss the details, the NFLPA announced a new COVID-19 opt-out clause available to players, per Josina Anderson.
Players are being told on NFLPA rep call that they can still take a CoVID opt-out later in the season if someone in their family becomes sick, per source.
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) July 24, 2020
On Friday, it was reported that the NFL had offered a deadline of August 3 for players to opt-out for the 2020 season. As a result, that gives players less than two weeks to make a decision to play or not.
Also, players that choose to sit out will receive a stipend from the owners in the league. At the same time, there will be players that opt-out voluntarily and others that are going to refrain from playing due to medical reasons.
Article Continues BelowNevertheless, if a player decides to play, he can still opt-out during the season if a family member becomes sick. However, it does remain to be seen if the player can return if he follows the league guidelines.
Of course, with training camps set to get underway soon, the league would love to get guidelines in place for the 2020 season. As of this moment, it has already been agreed that there will be no preseason games.
Given that, it's expected that the NFL will extend training camp to prepare players for the upcoming season. Not to mention, it would allow teams to get a better look at the younger players on their roster.
Similar to other sports, the NFL could have players that don't feel comfortable playing amid the COVID-19 pandemic. With that in mind, the league is finalizing terms for the players that do choose to opt-out of the 2020 campaign.