Bears NT Eddie Goldman to opt out of 2020 NFL season due to COVID-19

Chicago Bears standout nose tackle Eddie Goldman has decided to opt out of the 2020 NFL season due to health and safety concerns surrounding the COVID-19 virus, according to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Goldman is the first Bear player to publicly opt out of the season.

Sources: #Bears standout DT Eddie Goldman has informed the team he plans to opt out due to health concerns related to COVID-19. Goldman has been a standout in the middle of Chicago’s D since 2015.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 28, 2020

Goldman totaled 29 tackles in 15 games last season. He has been stalwart on the Bears defensive line since he was drafted in the second round in the 2015 NFL Draft out of Florida State. He signed a four-year contract extension in 2018.

The absence of Goldman creates a significant hole in the middle of the defensive line. Free agent nose tackle John Jenkins will likely get the first crack at replacing him when training camp begins on Tuesday.

Goldman joins other NFL standouts such as New England Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower and offensive tackle Marcus Cannon as the latest players to opt out of the season.