Last year, dozens of NFL players opted out of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith says he’ll push to extend that option into 2021 (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). 
A number of NFL locker rooms have already decided against onsite offseason workouts. That’s an indication that some players may choose to stay home this year, should the coronavirus bring new variants to the states. Of course, with vaccines having been widely administered, players are more comfortable with the idea of traveling than they were in 2020.
Chiefs guard and medical school graduate Laurent Duvernay-Tardif was the first player to officially opt out last summer. Scores of players followed, though most said they struggled with the decision, which was complicated by lengthy negotiations over compensation and free agency rights. This time around, Smith is hoping to solidify the terms well in advance to make things easier for players.
Meanwhile, NFLPA president and Browns center J.C. Tretter reiterated the union’s position that every player should boycott voluntary OTAs.
“This is not a 2021 offseason issue. This will be an issue year after year,” Tretter said.
If they are voluntary……can you boycott them? What? Just don’t go if you don’t want too and then do go if you do want too…?
Like anything else it comes down to money money money…according to the guidance the NFLPA put out to the members:
“It reminds players of two primary incentives for showing up to the 10 voluntary in-person practices in Phase 3 of the offseason program.
“A player with a workout bonus in the NFL Player Contract must satisfy the terms of his individual NFL Player Contract, including the ‘reasonable workout requirements’ as established by his club in order to be eligible for such bonus,” the memo reads, via Tom Pelissero of NFL Media. “Virtual workouts are neither required nor prohibited, and clubs have discretion whether to treat virtual workouts as satisfying the requirements of the Player Contract. Injuries sustained by a player while working out at the club facility, or while engaged in a virtual workout authorized by club staff, will be considered football-related injuries, with players entitled to the protection related to a football injury. Injuries sustained while workout out away from the club facility, without authorization by club staff, will be considered a non-football injury for which a club will not be responsible for the player’s compensation or other benefits.””
Personally I don’t see it being particularly ethical to accept a workout bonus for work not done. These are not full contact practices so injuries are generally never more serious than hamstring pulls.
And now you got this:
“Broncos’ OT Ja’Wuan James suffered a season-ending torn Achilles working out today away from the team facility, per sources. James’ $10 million salary for the upcoming season now is in jeopardy being that Denver no longer is obligated to pay him with him working out off site.”
They’re forfeiting workout bonuses by not going to OTAs/minicamp. There is one mandatory 3 day spring minicamp iirc as well.
This all stems from money. Some players have workout bonuses in their contracts, so they are trying to present a unified front to protect those bonuses
I wonder if this is how Rogers avoids playing for Green Bay this year.
I believe their contracts toll.
Seeing as how anyone who wants a vaccine can get one now, opting out should be a full forfeiture of all salary.
Absolutely money driven. Why not just set up one year play for pay contracts? So many players and the union fail to honor the contract they signed? The owners cut players despite the contract length? If neither side honor longterm contracts, why even have them? Just excuses.