The Seattle Seahawks players released a statement Tuesday afternoon via the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) opting out of voluntary, in-person workouts due to safety concerns surrounding the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The players would prefer another virtual offseason instead.
The statement reads, in part:
For the protection of everyone’s safety, we the Seattle Seahawks are deciding to exercise our CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) right to not participate in voluntary in-person workouts. While many states in this country are still seeing rising COVID-19 numbers, we believe that a virtual offseason is best for everyone’s protection. Our hope is that we will see a positive shift in the COVID-19 data that will allow for a safe return for players when mandatory workouts are set to begin.
A statement on behalf of the Seattle Seahawks players: pic.twitter.com/4Bwl4KkEOI
— NFLPA (@NFLPA) April 13, 2021
Phase One of the offseason programming is slated to begin on Monday, April 19.
The Broncos and Buccaneers players have both issued similar statements.
