Patrick Mahomes, Tyrann Mathieu Speak Out in #WeWantToPlay Campaign for Player Safety
As NFL players seek to secure significant safety protocols before NFL training camps begin, NFL stars including Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and safety Tyrann Mathieu have spoken out in an attempt to influence the NFL's next steps.
At 11 a.m. CST on Sunday, a large number of NFL stars began tweeting the hashtag #WeWantToPlay along with their concerns about the NFL's safety protocols (or lack thereof) leading up to this week's first steps in camp openings. Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt tweeted the most in-depth list of concerns.
Watt's tweet was retweeted and quote-retweeted by Mahomes and retweeted by Mathieu, who both tweeted statements of their own.
Mahomes first tweeted, "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" before going on to retweet Watt and several other players who spoke out, including Cleveland Browns offensive lineman and NFLPA President JC Tretter. Tretter tweeted, "What you are seeing today is our guys standing up for each other and for the work their union leadership has done to keep everyone as safe as possible. The NFL needs to listen to our union and adopt the experts' recommendations #wewanttoplay."
Mathieu's series of tweets approached the issue from a number of angles, but none more directly than this tweet: "It’s not about money it’s about health & safety. Do the right thing @nfl."
As the players' coordinated effort floods social media, the Chiefs have told rookies and quarterbacks that they are to report to Arrowhead on Monday, July 20, to begin COVID-19 testing.
