While fans may be amped for NFL training camp to begin at the end of the month, the players made it quite clear Sunday that they will be too – when the league provides health and safety guidelines.
They may be working on it, but the league has not set all the specific coronavirus guidelines for the 2020 season, and the league is mandating that camp start on time. So players are speaking out on social media with the hashtag “#WeWantToPlay” voicing their frustrations.
Some of the Jets’ newest players, Frank Gore and Pierre Desir were among those who spoke out.
“.@NFL Now is the time! We need you to listen to your medical experts and make it safe for us players to play the game we love!! #WeWantToPlay,” Gore tweeted.
Desir’s message echoed the veteran running back's one, while also retweeting many NFL stars who gave their opinions as well.
“It’s bigger than the game it’s about the safety and health of the players,” he wrote. “The @NFL needs to do their part and put the players safety as a priority and work to create a safe work environment if there’s going to be a chance of us playing football this year. #WeWantToPlay”
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 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 Jets 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. No opt-out clause for players at a higher risk has been created either.
There have been some guidelines set forth for team facilities, including lockers needing to be six feet apart from one another and masks being worn indoors at all times. The Jets, according to The New York Post’s Brian Costello, will actually be using trailers outside their Florham Park facility as extra locker room space.
The players can still be fined under the league’s current collective bargaining agreement since the league is going on as planned to kickoff training camp. So, if a player doesn’t feel safe showing up, they could be facing hits to their paycheck.
Both sides are running out of time with Jets rookies 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.