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Russell Wilson, Several Seahawks Tweet Safety Concerns Heading Into Training Camp

While the NFL has maintained that training camps will open next week, several prominent players such as Russell Wilson demanded answers from the league about how they intend to conduct testing and keep them safe when they return to work during a pandemic.
Corbin K. Smith|
Russell Wilson, Several Seahawks Tweet Safety Concerns Heading Into Training Camp
Russell Wilson, Several Seahawks Tweet Safety Concerns Heading Into Training Camp

With the start of NFL training camps rapidly approaching - as soon as July 20 for rookies on the Chiefs and Texans - several high-profile players such as Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson took to Twitter in a coordinated effort demanding answers on how the league plans to test players and keep them safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unlike other professional sports, the NFL had ample time to assemble a plan for conducting a season. The original COVID-19 surge took place in March, when the league was in the middle of a long offseason, providing several months to prepare and implement proper safety protocols and procedures before training camps opened in late July.

However, the league seemingly has wasted all of that valuable time, opting not to have critical discussions with the NFL Players Association until only a few weeks before the scheduled start of camp. Responding to the NFL's memo that camps would open on time, players formed a united front using the hashtag #WeWantToPlay on Sunday, calling out the league for its unwillingness to adopt recommendations from their own experts and provide any clarity on how camp will be conducted safely.

For Wilson in particular, these concerns are especially valid. The star quarterback's wife Ciara is currently pregnant with their third child and he doesn't want to put his family in harms way by potentially bringing the virus home.

Other prominent Seahawks and players from other teams also joined the barrage of tweets to the NFL, including Bruce Irvin, Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, Texans defensive end J.J. Watt, and Saints quarterback Drew Brees.

To this point, the NFL hasn't been willing to adopt a longer 21-day acclimation period in training camp, asking players to report two weeks earlier to meet that recommendation from medical experts and training staffs. The NFLPA refused and pushed for the preseason to be eliminated entirely to allow for adequate practice time to get into football shape, while owners have balked at the idea of cancelling all four exhibition contests.

As evidenced by several tweets from notable players, including Watt, an agreement on the number of preseason games has yet to be reached.

Testing protocols also remain unclear, as the NFL hasn't provided players with any clarity on how frequently they will be tested throughout the season. Per Executive Director DeMaurice Smith, who spoke with national media on Friday, the NFLPA will continue to demand daily testing in negotiations with league officials.

“On the frequency of testing, we believe that daily testing is important, especially given some of these hot spots, and right now we don’t plan on changing that position,” Smith said. “It doesn’t mean that we won’t continue to talk about it, but we were clear about our belief that daily testing is going to be necessary and we’re always open to the plans to make our players as safe as possible."

Beyond simply knowing how often tests will happen, Watt tweeted that players still don't know how the league will handle a positive COVID-19 test in regard to other players who were in close proximity, including in the huddle or engaged against in a block on the field. With families at home to protect, this issue doesn't sit well with NFLPA president J.C. Tretter, who has been outspoken in recent weeks about the NFL's lack of a plan.

"No one can just wish this away or just expect this to go away. There are consequences for getting sick," Tretter said. "There are consequences players’ families have to face, and that’s my job as representative of the players is to try to provide as safe a workplace as possible and be able to tell my wife, talk to other players’ families, and let them know all we’ve done to try to make this as safe as possible for their husbands and their families when they have to come home from work. So, this is all about making the right decisions.”

For there to be a 2020 NFL season, a number of prominent issues must be addressed in quick order, including creating a reasonable opt-out policy for high-risk players. As indicated on Sunday, the players want to play, but they want to do so safely without putting loved ones in danger.

Asking players to simply show up without established testing protocols in place and no clue how camp practices will be conducted safely would be a huge mistake. Based on the sheer number of players expressing concerns on social media, a grievance seems inevitable if the league tries to force players to report before reaching a resolution and this could turn into an ugly labor war very quickly.

Published
Corbin K. Smith
CORBIN K. SMITH

Graduating from Manchester College in 2012, Smith began his professional career as a high school Economics teacher in Indianapolis and launched his own NFL website covering the Seahawks as a hobby. After teaching and coaching high school football for five years, he transitioned to a full-time sports reporter in 2017, writing for USA Today's Seahawks Wire while continuing to produce the Legion of 12 podcast. He joined the Arena Group in August 2018 and also currently hosts the daily Locked On Seahawks podcast with Rob Rang and Nick Lee. Away from his coverage of the Seahawks and the NFL, Smith dabbles in standup comedy, is a heavy metal enthusiast and previously performed as lead vocalist for a metal band, and enjoys distance running and weight lifting. A habitual commuter, he resides with his wife Natalia in Colorado and spends extensive time reporting from his second residence in the Pacific Northwest.

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