Houston Texans players have until July 2 to decide if they want to opt out of the 2021 NFL season.
According to NFL.com, the deadline is at 3:00 p.m. Central Time on July 2. Like in 2020, all opt-outs are final.
The voluntary opt outs are available to players who executed their contracts prior to Oct. 1, 2020. That means 2021 rookies are disqualified. However, they may opt out if they are deemed a higher risk. In such a case, the respective teams would still own the rights to the rookie.
In 2020, the Texans had one opt-out in defensive end Eddie Vanderdoes. However, this offseason, Houston traded with the New England Patriots to acquire right tackle Marcus Cannon, who opted out of the 2020 campaign.
Although Cannon opted out of 2020, he utilized the time to give his body a chance to recovery after nine accrued seasons in the NFL.
“This last year was amazing,” Cannon told reporters on a Zoom call on March 29. “I got a lot of time with the family. A lot of time for myself to work out and stay in shape and just get my body right. Get my body right and my mind right. It was great. It was great to have some time off from all of the bumps and bruises I’ve had over the years. The part I’m the most happy about is the time I had with my family. That was great.”
Players who are considered a higher risk for COVID-19 are entitled to a $350,000 stipend as was the case in 2020. However, voluntary opt-outs will not be given a stipend.
