Tennessee Titans players joined some of the NFL’s biggest stars in a “We Want to Play” movement on social media, calling for the league to quickly come up with protocols in order to protect players and their families from COVID-19 before training camp starts.
Despite players being set to start reporting to training camp on Tuesday (only the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans have to report earlier), the NFL and NFLPA have yet to agree on a concrete plan.
Players like Titans right tackle Dennis Kelly have also criticized the league for not following the recommendations of its medical experts.
Running back Darrynton Evans, left tackle Taylor Lewan and safety Kenny Vaccaro were three Titans players who joined the movement in order to create public pressure to force the league to take swift action.
— Darrynton Evans (@ItzLiveee) July 19, 2020
We want to play.
— G1 Savage (@kennyvaccaro) July 19, 2020
— Taylor Lewan (@TaylorLewan77) July 19, 2020
We need Football! We need sports! We need hope! The NFL’s unwillingness to follow the recommendations of their own medical experts will prevent that. If the NFL doesn’t do their part to keep players healthy there is no football in 2020. It’s that simple. Get it done @NFL
— Drew Brees (@drewbrees) July 19, 2020
The NFL has ignored the safety recommendations from the experts that THEY hired. We all love this game and want to go out and compete with our brothers. The NFL needs to provide a safe work environment for us to do that. #WeWantToPlay
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) July 19, 2020
I am concerned.
My wife is pregnant.@NFL Training camp is about to start..And there’s still No Clear Plan on Player Health & Family Safety. 🤷🏾
We want to play football but we also want to protect our loved ones. #WeWantToPlay
— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) July 19, 2020
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
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) July 19, 2020
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
— JC Tretter (@JCTretter) July 19, 2020
Once again in the interest of keeping everyone (players & fans) as informed as possible, here is an updated list of what we as players know and don’t know as the first group gets set to report to training camp tomorrow.#WeWantToPlay pic.twitter.com/xQcjs33zgM
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) July 19, 2020
If the NFL doesn’t do their part to keep players healthy there is no football in 2020. It’s that simple. #WeWantToPlay
— Myles Garrett ⚡️ (@MylesLGarrett) July 19, 2020
You want to watch football this year? Us players need to remain healthy in order to make that happen. The @NFL needs to do their part in order to bring football back safely in 2020. #WeWantToPlay
— Todd Gurley II (@TG3II) July 19, 2020
On Saturday, the NFL sent a memo to clubs confirming the report dates for training camp. Rookies will begin reporting on July 21, quarterbacks and injured players on July 23, and the rest of the players on July 28.
With those dates right around the corner, it’s understandable why the players are so desperate to get something done. Whether or not this movement helps force the league’s hand remains to be seen, though.
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