NFL players take to social media in hopes of better health and safety protocols
As training camp report dates loom just days ahead, NFL players took to social media to protest the lack of answers from the league regarding COVID-19 protocols.
To safely bring players back after their extended time off, the NFL and NFLPA assembled a joint committee of doctors, trainers and strength coaches to put together a plan. NFLPA President J.C. Tretter explained that one of their goals is to avoid what happened after the 2011 lockout.
“We did our due diligence and reviewed the impact of returning to play football after an unusually long period away,” Tretter wrote in a statement. “For example, following the extended break after the 2011 lockout, injuries increased by 25%. Achilles injuries more than doubled and hamstring strains went up 44%.”
The league has agreed to eliminating joint practices and fans in attendance during training camp to reduce the chances of spreading COVID-19 but has refused to cancel all preseason games even after it was recommended by the joint committee.
The joint committee also proposed a 48-day training camp schedule that has yet to be approved by the league. It would include 21-days of strength and conditioning, a 10-day ramp up to contact and a 14-day contact acclimation period prior to playing the first game.
The league has yet to provide reasons to keep the preseason games on the schedule. As of Sunday, the Hall of Fame game is the only non regular-season game to have been officially cancelled.
Players will not hold out but are very concerned that reporting to camp on time, without proper safety procedures in place, could put playing the entire season in jeopardy. There has still yet to be an agreement on what exactly will take place when a player tests positive for COVID-19 after reporting to the facility.
Maybe even more importantly there is no agreement on how often players will be tested for COVID-19.
Currently the reporting dates are as follows:
July 21: rookies
July 23: quarterbacks and injured players
July 28: all other players
The joint committee recognizes that the COVID-19 pandemic will not bend to football, instead needing plans to be adapted to keep the players safe. Their hope is that through pressure on social media, the league will eventually acquiesce. Only time will tell.