One of the Baltimore Ravens’ newest additions nearly didn’t play football this season. Ravens defensive end Calais Campbell said he really considered opting out of the 2020 season due to concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.
“I definitely considered it; you have to,” Campbell said. “You can’t play football with this going on and not think about the risk you’re going to put on yourself and your family.”
Baltimore traded a fifth-round pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for Campbell before free agency began, signing him to a one-year extension to make the deal work within their salary cap. Campbell is figured to be a big piece of the puzzle for the Ravens as they try to get over a playoff hump that has seen them exit the postseason early the last two years. As Baltimore eyes up their third Lombardi Trophy, Campbell opting out would have been a devastating blow.
But some players rightfully haven’t wanted to risk their health or that of their families for their job, choosing to opt out of the season. In total, 66 players including two Ravens players, have used the NFL’s opt-out provision to sit out this season. Campbell was certainly no different in having that discussion with himself and his family, and for good reason.
Campbell is the father of a new baby this offseason and with asthma, he likely would have qualified for the high-risk version of the NFL’s opt-out provision. But while Campbell was concerned about the possibilities, it was his work as an NFLPA representative that put him at ease about lining up for the Ravens during the pandemic.
“Going through that process, I realized — talking to the doctors and just setting up the protocols and everything we have to do to keep each other safe — I felt the risks were mitigated as much as we can,” Campbell continued. “You can’t get rid of the risks all the way, but we definitely lowered the percentage of catching it based off of the protocols we put in place. For me, I felt that was enough.”
I’m confident that I can go through the season and play at a high level and stay safe.”
Campbell also pointed to a nearly unanimous decision from the players in the NFLPA to hold everyone accountable for violations of the COVID-19 protocols.
“That was one thing where all the players wanted people to be held accountable, to a degree,” Campbell said. “All the players were pretty much unanimous in making sure there was some type of consequence; holding the guys accountable for when they made mistakes — purposefully made mistakes.”
With a solid set of protocols and some tough punishments for those that violate them, the NFL has found a middle ground as professional sports return to some type of normal. While they aren’t in a bubble like the NBA has created, there’s hope the restrictions will stymie the potential for outbreaks like we’ve seen already hit MLB. Time will tell how well the NFL’s protocols insulate them from the virus and how they react when they do inevitably get hit, but for now, things are moving forward.
While no players should be admonished for thinking about the health and safety of themselves and their family, Campbell’s decision to play this season has to be a sigh of relief for the Ravens. Now with the deadline for players to opt out passed, Baltimore and Campbell can focus on winning a championship again.
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