J.J. Watt: Players want to play, but there’s a lot we don’t know
CINCINNATI — NFL star J.J. Watt hopes to be playing football this fall, but he admits the future is uncertain.
Texans rookies are scheduled to report for training camp this weekend and Watt wants clarity on some important issues.
"We want to play," he wrote at the beginning and the end of a tweet he sent on Thursday.
Watt said the players still haven't received a valid Infections Disease Emergency Response plan from the NFL or any of the 32 teams. They also don't know if there are going to be preseason games or not.
The Players Association has made it known that they would prefer skipping all four preseason games, while the league has been pushing for at least two exhibition contests.
Watt also notes that players aren't sure how frequent players will be tested or how a positive COVID-19 test would impact contracts and roster spots.
There's plenty of uncertainty surrounding training camp. Watt admits that players don't know exactly what camp will look like, which includes a potential "ramp up" period since players haven't been at team facilities since last season.
Watt's tweet is proof that the NFL has a long ways to go if there is going to be football played this fall.
Bengals training camp is scheduled to begin on July 28. Rookie quarterback Joe Burrow needs as much time as possible to get ready for the season.
If the NFL doesn't move quickly, then delaying the start of the 2020 season could become inevitable. The players are going to need time to get into game shape, especially if there aren't any preseason games.
It's amazing that players still don't know how many times they'll be tested for COVID-19 or what would happen if they contracted the coronavirus.
The league and the NFLPA better get better at communicating if they want the season to start on time.
More details should be released in the coming days. For the latest on the Bengals and the NFL, go here.
