J.J. Watt lays out the NFL players’ thoughts on COVID
By Tyler Kemp
With NFL training camps and the regular season closing in, Texans star J.J. Watt believes there is still a lot of confusion throughout the league.
The 2020 NFL offseason is something unlike anything the league or its fans have seen before. With the COVID-19 pandemic putting the entire world on hold, sports had to take a backseat throughout the spring and summer, the prime months for preparations going into the following NFL season.
One of the key aspects of the NFL offseason is that eventually, it can no longer be virtual. Players and coaches have to get in their buildings soon if the league wants to start on time.
With NFL rookies expected to report to their respective facilities this upcoming weekend, Texans star J.J. Watt provided an update to fans via Twitter about what the conversations amongst players have been like over the past couple of weeks.
In the interest of having everyone on the same page in terms of what we know and don’t know at this time, here are a few things I’ve learned being on four NFLPA calls in the last two weeks with hundreds of other players.
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) July 16, 2020
Keep in mind our rookies are scheduled to report in 48 hrs pic.twitter.com/wAH1XyQenf
Watt’s screenshot of his notes lay out some of the main wants, needs and concerns players have going forward this summer and upcoming fall. A couple of the key bullet points still unknown: what preseason/training camp looks like, how testing will be handled and not having a plan in place in terms of an emergency response.
While these are all key questions that need to be answered ASAP by the league, Watt and his fellow players do know one thing that was listed twice: guys definitely want to play. Even through all of the concerns that players have, figuring out the right procedure for having games while remaining safe in the fall is the main focus of the league’s players’ association.
On the contrary, there has to be a point where safety takes precedent over everything. The league’s lack of communication with its teams and players about health guidelines is worth noting. When it first started, no one expected that COVID-19 would still be the biggest problem in the world this summer.
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Still, there is work that needs to be done on both sides. The league needs to figure out what to do with its rookies that are supposed to report in a matter of days. And for the players, staying in contact with each other as well as league leadership will be key for figuring out one of the most uncanny league years in NFL history.