A wave of NFL players are opting out of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic, and at least one member of the New Orleans Saints is among them. Tight end Cole Wick spent part of 2019 on the Saints practice squad before signing a reserve/futures contract in January, but he’s chosen to opt out and return for 2021. His decision was first reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, with Eric Edholm of Yahoo! Sports adding that Wick opted out due to an asthma condition.
Wick faced long odds of cracking the Saints depth chart behind Jared Cook, Josh Hill, and rookie draft pick Adam Trautman, but his experience on the practice squad might have given him an edge in training camp over other backups competing for a roster spot. He was slated to earn a non-guaranteed $750,000 base salary in 2020, but will instead receive a $150,000 salary advance.
Big names around the NFL like New England Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower and Kansas City Chiefs guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardiff have also opted out of the 2020 season, a right which the NFL Players Association secured in negotiations with the league. While Wick is the first Saints player to choose to sit out this season during the public health crisis, he may not be the last. Stay tuned for updates.
