New England Patriots safety Devin McCourty didn’t take questions on Sunday while meeting with reporters. He had a few things on his mind.
He wanted to emphasize a few points about social injustice before transitioning to the NFL’s handling of coronavirus and player opt-outs. His frustration became apparent, as he spoke passionately about the NFL’s shortcomings in allowing players the necessary time to decide whether they will be safe while playing during the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The NFL and the NFLPA had previously agreed to give players one week from the signing of the CBA. But because the CBA is still unsigned, there didn’t seem to be a deadline in sight. However, the NFL announced on Sunday that players would have until Aug. 3 to make their decision, which made for a significantly accelerated timeline for players.
That didn’t seem to sit well with McCourty.
“I think it’s an absolute joke that the NFL is changing the opt-out period, mainly because they don’t want to continue to see guys opt out,” McCourty said on a videoconference call. “I’m sure they’re shocked about how many guys have opted out, but it’s the same thing as, when we sign the CBA sometimes, some of the things we think are good sometimes backfire. We have rookies who are locked in long-term contracts and tagged and tagged. You guys don’t think we would love to change that? But we can’t. That’s the point of signing an agreement.
“I think it’s terrible. I think it’s B.S. that the league has changed that date, because Monday will be our first day in the building, so to try to make that decision about something other than virtual meetings is a joke.”
The Patriots already have eight players who have opted out: linebacker Dont’a Hightower, safety Patrick Chung, tackle Marcus Cannon, running back Brandon Bolden, receiver Marqise Lee, tight end Matt LaCosse, offensive lineman Najee Toran and fullback Dan Vitale. McCourty wouldn’t say whether he did or did not intend to play this season.
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