While fans may be amped for NFL training camp to begin at the end of the month, the players made it quite clear that they won't be satisfied until the league provides proper health and safety guidelines.
They may be working on it, but the league has not set specific coronavirus guidelines for the 2020 season. Even worse is the league will be starting training camp on time. So you can understand why players are speaking out on their social media platforms with the hashtag “#WeWantToPlay” voicing their frustrations.
Giants 2019 captains Saquon Barkley and Nate Solder were among the masses. Barkley simply tweeted out that hashtag, while the very mild-mannered Solder was ahead of the curve as he said this last week:
“If the NFL doesn’t do their part to keep players healthy there is not football in 2020. It’s that simple,” he tweeted.
NFLPA president JC Tretter explained that the movement on Sunday was “our guys standing up for each other and for the work their union leadership has done to keep everyone as safe as possible.”
Players became very frustrated during a call this past Wednesday when they couldn’t get simple answers about certain protocols at training camp despite the schedule remaining the same (all players are set to report to Giants camp on July 28), per ESPN. Among those concerns is how often coronavirus testing will be done, and if that test is positive, how it will be handled within teams.
There is also the fact that no opt-out clause for players at higher risk has been created. For Solder, a father with a son battling cancer, that would affect him greatly heading into the season.
Some guidelines have been set forth for team facilities, including lockers needing to be six feet apart from one another and masks being worn indoors at all times. However, the players feel that simple questions can’t be answered at the moment, and it doesn’t sit well with them.
And the worst part is the fact that under the current CBA, players can still be fined for not showing up on time.
Hopefully the joint effort by everyone around the league including these Giants can lead to both sides working things out quickly. Time really is ticking as Giants rookies are set to report July 21 followed by quarterbacks and injured players on July 23. At the moment, only a maximum of 20 players are permitted at a time in facilities, so staggered workouts will need to take place.