Four p.m. on August 6 passed, and the window for National Football League players to opt out of the 2020 regular season because of COVID-19 concerns was closed. A total of 66 players believed that they were putting their health and safety above enhanced economic security, making an irrevocable choice to sit out of the league year as many wonder whether a full season will even be played.
Sixty-six players opting out may not seem like a large number at first glance. However, considering that there are 53 active players for each team in every game and 32 NFL teams, the opt outs account for roughly 4% of the league. The total number of opt outs was also likely diminished due to the small timeframe that players had to come to an incredibly important decision on whether they would suit up for the 2020 NFL season.
Detroit Lions linebacker Jamie Collins clearly stated that the players needed more time to make a determination. He believes that the deadline day will not mean anything, because there will still be problems down the road and, if the virus affects someone close to a player, the player will want to opt out. Collins is technically correct. A player may still opt out after the deadline if a close family member gets seriously sick with COVID-19 or if the player is newly diagnosed with a high-risk condition.
It is clear that specific position players and their families were more concerned about their potential for contracting the coronavirus and suffering its effects than others. Twenty of the 66 players who opted out are listed as offensive linemen, and 11 of them play on the defensive line. These individuals line up right in front of each other, in very close proximity to their own teammates, with heavy breathing, sweating, and spitting all givens during every game and practice. Many of these players also weigh over 300 pounds, putting them in a high-risk category for a number of ailments that health experts encourage people to avoid and which could predispose them to COVID-19 and its sometimes terrible effects. The vast majority of the athletes that fall into this category are still preparing to participate during the 2020 NFL season.
The true challenge for the league will be what comes next. On August 6, the Miami Dolphins added six players to its COVID-19 list, which means that, as of today’s date, a total of 14 Dolphins players have at one point been placed on the list since the league began requiring testing of players in late July. Being placed on the list does not necessarily mean that a player has contracted coronavirus; merely being in close contact with a teammate who has tested positive could cause a player to land on the list. However, if players find themselves on the COVID-19 list during the regular season, then it could cause significant roster changes on a week-by-week basis, affecting competitive balance even more than the existing influence of 66 players opting out of the season by the August 6 deadline (eight of the 66 players are signed to the New England Patriots).
Darren Heitner is the founder of Heitner Legal. He is the author of How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, published by the American Bar Association, and is an adjunct professor at the University of Florida Levin College of Law. You can reach him by email at heitner@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter at @DarrenHeitner.