Jets offensive lineman Greg Van Roten beleives that his fellow NFL players are going to do whatever it takes to minimize the risk of contracting COVID-19 this season.
While speaking with reporters on Thursday, Van Roten indicated that he has faith in the ability of his colleagues to maintain enough self-discipline to prevent a widespread coronavirus outbreak across football — especially with millions of dollars on the line.
“I am confident,” Van Roten said. “Guys want to get paid and the way you get paid is by being available to play football.”
Van Roten has a point. No football means no pay, which should be enough incentive for players around the league to ensure they stay healthy. That has not been the case with athletes from one of America’s other major sports leagues, though.
COVID-19 outbreaks have taken baseball’s Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals by storm recently. Miami just returned to play this week after 17 players tested positive, while St. Louis is sidelined due to the virus, which has infected 13 Cardinals players, according to Major League Baseball. has infected 13 Cardinals players, according to Major League Baseball. Players on both teams were suspected of going out while away from the ballpark.
Can NFL players maintain enough self-discipline to avoid similar outbreaks engulfing their respective teams? That remains to be seen, especially considering some of the larger than life personalities scattered across the league. The NBA and NHL have been able to operate without any complications amid the virus, but the two leagues have done so in a bubble. There will be no such setting in the NFL this upcoming season.
No bubble means teams traveling from city to city. Traveling from city to city means some players are bound to roll the dice and head out for a night on the town, especially in some of the country’s more lax states. That night out could lead to a coronavirus spread, which would put the entire 2020 season in jeopardy.
At this point, all the NFL can hope for is that its players will take it upon themselves to mitigate a potential COVID-19 outbreak. That might be a lot to ask, but at least Van Roten has confidence that they can get the job done.