Patrick Mahomes wants better COVID protocols from NFL
By Emily Adams
Patrick Mahomes joined dozens of other NFL stars in calls for clearer COVID-19 safety protocols as teams plan to report this week.
Reigning Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes added his powerful voice to the group of players asking the NFL to provide players with a better plan for managing the coronavirus.
Mahomes will be among the athletes are expected to report to training camp this week — rookies, quarterbacks, and injured players. If the best quarterback in the league is speaking up about his concerns, it’s past time for the NFL to take action.
In a tweet, the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback joined in on the hashtag #WeWantToPlay being used by big names across the league to communicate concerns about the NFL’s lack of clear guidelines around players safety.
Players currently have not received guidance around testing frequency or positive test procedures, and the league and NFLPA have yet to come to a final agreement about opt-out options for the season.
Getting ready to report this week hoping the @NFL will come to agreement with the safe and right protocols so we can feel protected playing the sport we love #WeWantToPlay
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) July 19, 2020
Mahomes has proven this offseason that the NFL takes notice when he speaks out. He participated in a video featuring fellow Chiefs star Tyrann Mathieu and other top athletes in the league that called on the NFL to do better in supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.
That video led to an apology from commissioner Roger Goodell in which he encouraged athletes to peacefully protest during the upcoming season.
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) July 19, 2020
By jumping into this fray, Mahomes is using his platform to help protect himself, his fellow athletes, and every other person involved with an NFL franchise.
When a guy like Mahomes calls them out, it immediately garners national attention simply because of how high profile he is. Being bombarded with criticism is a PR nightmare for the NFL, and that means they’re much more likely to get their safety plan sorted out in a hurry.
Players’ lives are infinitely more important that any practice or game will ever be, and it’s important for athletes to stand up for themselves in a dangerous situation. Hopefully the NFL will hear Mahomes and his colleagues and do what needs to be done.