Why N.F.L. Players Opted Out of the 2020 Season

Koloamatangi and his family have been sheltering in place in California since March. The rising infection rates in New Jersey, where the Jets train and play, prompted the team to announce that it would play regular season home games without fans in MetLife Stadium or at training camp.

Koloamatangi said he had spoken with a union rep every day since mid-March, lobbing questions that he wanted answered. He knew it was unfeasible for the N.F.L. to enter a so-called “bubble,” as the N.B.A. and N.H.L. have. But as he and Athena debated their options, he wondered why the N.F.L. refused to push back camp and the season, or introduce additional safety measures — such as gloves or helmets with masks — that would further mitigate his risk of infection. As it stands, the N.F.L.’s testing protocol calls for players to be tested every day for the first two weeks of training camp, and then every other day after that.

Ultimately, Koloamatangi said, he didn’t feel confident enough to risk the travel and contact that come with playing the game he loves.

“I’m happy my workplace will be safe, but what about when I have to go out and perform my job?” he said. “What are you doing to ensure that when I make full contact with the guy next to me, I’m not going to contract the virus? Imagine going through an entire summer understanding that you’re going to have to go to work at some point, but your job doesn’t say anything about your work conditions until two weeks ago.”

Kyle Peko, a defensive tackle on the Denver Broncos, reached a similar conclusion. Peko, 27, has moderate to severe asthma, among the medical conditions the league regards as high risk. He has two young children and a wife, Giuliana, who he said has been cancer-free for seven months.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/08/sports/football/nfl-players-opt-out.html