On Sunday, NFL players took to Twitter to take a stand on safety protocols in 2020.
On Sunday, NFL players organized a tweetstorm in order to voice their displeasure with the NFL’s lack of safety protocols in place for the 2020 season. Dozens of NFL stars sent out tweets with essentially the same message: we want to play, but the NFL needs to do a better job to make it safe.
According to Dan Graziano of ESPN, one player was behind the idea of a tweetstorm: Miami Dolphins cornerback Byron Jones. He suggested the idea on a recent player’s reps call. He wanted to make it clear that players aren’t trying to get out of camp, they just want more safety measures in place.
A note on this afternoon's NFL player tweetstorm: I'm told the idea came from Dolphins CB Byron Jones, who suggested it on a player reps' call as a way of getting out the message that players aren't just trying to get out of camp. "We want to play, let's just make it safe."
— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) July 19, 2020
Stars such as Russell Wilson, Drew Brees, Patrick Mahomes and J.J. Watt, among countless others, voiced their displeasure with the NFL’s lack of action so far. Jones himself participated in the movement, sharing his opinion on the NFL’s response to COVID-19 so far.
The NFL continues to ignore major health and safety concerns putting the 2020 season in jeopardy. America wants to watch football and we want to play. Make the necessary changes @nflcommish #WeWantToPlay
— Byron Jones (@TheByronJones) July 19, 2020
As it stands, all players will report to camp by July 28. The NFL is still yet to release a formal plan with detailed protocols on what the 2020 NFL season will look like. It’s clear to see why the players are worried about a lack of ambition from the NFL.
The NFL needs to act quickly in order to implement safety protocols.
The 2020 season will be unlike any other. It seems like the NFL is oblivious to that. They are simply going through this offseason like everything is normal, but they will need to make major adjustments in order to make the season safe for players.
After four seasons with the Cowboys, Jones signed a five year, $82.5 million contract with the Dolphins this offseason. If the 2020 NFL season does go forward, he will look to improve upon the Dolphins’ last-place defense from 2019.