As the NFL looks to return to some semblance of normalcy with the opening of training camps, the reality on the ground is that the upcoming NFL season will be anything but normal. With the world still dealing with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, NFL players are choosing to opt out of the upcoming season.
Under the agreement reached between the NFL and the NFLPA, players have until August 3rd to choose to opt out of the year ahead. Players deemed to be in the “high-risk” category will earn $350,000 for the upcoming season, and those not placed in that category will earn $150,000 for the year ahead.
Here are the current players who have decided to forgo playing in the 2020 season:
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, G, Kansas City Chiefs
Dont’a Hightower, LB, New England Patriots
Brandon Bolden, RB, New England Patriots
Marcus Cannon, T, New England Patriots
Dan Vitale, FB, New England Patriots
Najee Toran, New England Patriots
Chance Warmack, G, Seattle Seahawks
De’Anthony Thomas, WR, Baltimore Ravens
Maurice Canady, CB, Dallas Cowboys
Caleb Brantley, DE, Washington Football Team
Kyle Peko, DT, Denver Broncos
The first name on this list might be the most notable, as Duvernay-Tardif is a licensed doctor in Canada who has been on the front lines of the pandemic over the past few months. In a statement released on social media, Dr. Duvernay-Tardif outlined his reasons for opting out of the upcoming football season:
The number of Patriots opting out also is notable. The biggest name among them is Hightower, who has been the heart of the Patriots’ defensive front for years and is one of the league’s best off-ball linebackers. In fact, if you think about New England’s three recent Super Bowl wins, there is a strong case to be made that Hightower made the biggest plays in each contest. In Super Bowl XLIX Hightower stopped Marshawn Lynch at the goal line just before Malcolm Butler’s interception, and he did it with a torn labrum in his shoulder. In Super Bowl LI it was Hightower’s strip-sack of Matt Ryan that kept the Patriots in the game. Then in Super Bowl LIII Hightower had two huge sacks of Jared Goff and perhaps was the best choice for MVP.
But the loss of Brandon Bolden, a player who flies under the radar outside of New England, is also notable. Bolden has been a staple on New England’s special teams units during his two stints with the team, and could also contribute as a role player in the offensive backfield. Then there is Marcus Cannon, the Patriots starting right tackle, choosing to opt out. Cannon was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins’ Lymphoma after his physical at the 2011 Scouting Combine showed some irregularities. His absence could force the team to slide Joe Thuney to right tackle, as he has some experience playing outside, or to rely on untested players such as Yodny Cajuste or Justin Herron.
Touchdown Wire wishes all of these players, and their families, well during these times. This list will be updated as events warrant.
