Tag: opt out

Broncos OLB Von Miller weighed positives and negatives of COVID-19 season

“I don’t have any children, I don’t have a wife, I don’t have anything,” Broncos linebacker Von Miller said.

After a battle with COVID-19 in April, Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller seriously considered opting out of the 2020 season.

“I just really thought about all the things that could happen,” Miller said during a Zoom conference call on Tuesday. “This season is different from any other season. I weighed the positives and the negatives, and I came to my own decision that I can play. I thought about me having asthma. I went over everything that I possibly could with my agent, and we just thought about it. I feel like every player should do that.”

Miller ultimately decided to play but he understands that every player in the league has unique circumstances to consider. The league’s opt-out deadline is Thursday. So far, two Broncos players — right tackle Ja’Wuan James and defensive lineman Kyle Peko — have opted out.

“Every player should think about everything they could do,” Miller said. “That’s what Ju’Wuan did. I don’t have any children, I don’t have a wife, I don’t have anything. I don’t want to speak on his wife or anything, but his situation was totally different from my situation and everybody else’s situation. I support him and his decision to opt-out and put his family first. It’s what he had to do, and I’m all for it.”

Miller said he didn’t feel normal again until two or three weeks after he tested negative for the coronavirus. Now that he feels healthy again, the veteran edge defender is poised to have a big season in 2020.

“I feel like I can give more and I can be more,” Miller said. “I don’t feel like I’m finished yet.”

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Thomas Morstead on adjusting life in the NFL to COVID-19 challenges

New Orleans Saints punter Thomas Morstead is pleased with the adjustments to COVID-19 that the NFLPA won, but knows things will get tougher.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the NFL to get to work during a public health crisis, uniquely dangerous among professional sports due to football’s high-impact nature. And while he understands that not everyone is happy with the situation, New Orleans Saints punter Thomas Morstead was glad to lend a hand during negotiations as the team’s NFL Players Association representative.

“Look, I’m personally thrilled with where we ended up,” Morstead said during a recent media conference call. “I know there are always going to be people that don’t agree with what the end result is. For players that want to opt out, they have that right. We’ve tried to provide the ability for someone to do that if they feel like that is the right decision for them and that family, but also at the same time, I think it is important that players don’t knock other players that decide they want to play, they want to take on the risk.”

So far, just two of Morstead’s Saints teammates have opted out of the 2020 season due to health concerns (backup tight ends Cole Wick and Jason Vander Laan). But with the NFL deadline to opt out rapidly approaching at 3 p.m. CT on Thursday, Aug. 6, it shouldn’t surprise anyone if more players decide it’s best to wait until 2021.

As for the changes to his daily grind: Morstead says he honestly hasn’t noticed much disruption to his routine, with most of the hassle put on those around him. And he’s careful to recognize the work others do to support him.

“I don’t know that there has been a tough adjustment (for me). I think the tough adjustment is in all the staff, it’s all of the trainers,” Morstead continued. “I think for us (players), it’s just wear the mask and socially distance yourself when you’re able to do that. I don’t sense my day has gotten more strenuous or tougher to do. I still can do everything I need to do. Be mindful of a few things, but it’s really, I’d say that the burden is on the staff and the people that are assisting us and so we’re really appreciative of that.”

When asked whether he’s confident the NFL can pull off the upcoming season as things currently stand, Morstead replied, “That’s above my paygrade. All I know is that we’ve done everything we can to provide as safe a working environment as possible. I don’t think anybody’s under the delusion that people aren’t going to get COVID. The idea with the testing is that we’re hopefully going to catch it before guys have a chance to spread it.”

That’s been the same line from Saints coach Sean Payton, who has stressed that the goal isn’t to prevent infections altogether — that’s inevitable in a contact sport where people are lined up, shoulder-to-shoulder and breathing on each other three or four hours. As Payton explained it, and to which Morstead agrees, all of their efforts are about mitigating risk as much as possible.

To help, the Saints bought out four floors of rooms at a French Quarter hotel, where they plan to house players, coaches, and other employees throughout training camp. Morstead plans to stay there as often as possible, but with a family of four school-aged children at home for his wife to contend with, he isn’t sure how often he can stay away from the house. Just like everyone else, he’s making the best that he can of a difficult situation.

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Bills CB Tre’Davious White ‘still undecided’ on opting out

Buffalo Bills All-Pro cornerback Tre’Davious White “undecided” on opting-out of 2020.

The Buffalo Bills are still unsure if cornerback Tre’Davious White will suit up in 2020. White and the rest of the NFL’s players have until 4 p.m. on Thursday to decide if they plan to opt out of playing next season due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking on a video call on Wednesday with members of the Western New York media, White said he’s “still undecided” in regard to whether or not he’ll opt out.

“At the end of the day, like, no matter what, my family’s gonna come first. No matter what’s going on. Like how big of a season and what’s going on, I’m always gonna put my kids first,” White said.

So far defensive tackle Star Lotulelei and cornerback EJ Gaines have decided to opt out of playing in terms of Bills players. On Tuesday, seven additional players across the NFL decided to opt out.

White mentioned he appreciates what the Bills and league are doing at team facilities, trying to keep players healthy with extra safety measures. But it’s the positive tests for COVID-19 that have him worried. The Bills have had five players end up on the Reserve/ COVID-19 list already, and had to send players home one day last week as a precaution.

“They’ve been doing a great job, but it’s just the aspect of guys still testing positive,” White said. “Do I want to come in here and get my 11 month old sick? Do I want to risk that? At the end of the day, no matter what, my family comes first.”

White tied for the league-lead in interceptions in 2019 with six. The Bills have already flexed White’s fifth-year option on his rookie deal as well for 2021, which would be pushed back to 2022 if he decides to opt out.

 

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Broncos star Von Miller seriously considered opting out of 2020 season

Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller says he seriously considered opting out of the 2020 NFL season.

Broncos star Von Miller seriously considered opting out of the 2020 season, the outside linebacker said during a Zoom conference call with media members on Tuesday morning.

“I thought about it,” Miller said. “You know, when they gave us the option out, I really thought about all my aunts and my family. I took serious consideration and the things that could possibly happen.”

Miller said the team’s safety measures played a part in his decision to play this season.

“For me, I think the Broncos are doing a great job keeping us safe . . . . enough for me not to opt out.”

Miller, who has asthma, tested positive for COVID-19 in April. Two weeks later, he tested negative and was cleared to return to football activities.

Broncos safety Kareem Jackson and fullback/tight end Andrew Beck also tested positive for the coronavirus this offseason. Denver has had two players — defensive lineman Kyle Peko and right tackle Ja’Wuan James — opt out of the season so far.

In March, former Broncos idwe receiver Orlando McDaniel died from complications related to the coronavirus. McDaniel had a brief stint with Denver during the 1982 season. He was 59 years old.

Miller, 31, owns 106 career sacks, a franchise record. He was named the MVP of Super Bowl 50 in 2016 following a 24-10 win over Panthers.

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The best wide receiver in the Big Ten opts out of the 2020 season

The first big-time opt out of the 2020 season came five days ago when Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley–a top 10 player on NFL Draft…

The first big-time opt out of the 2020 season came five days ago when Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley–a top 10 player on NFL Draft boards–decided to sit out this season and prepare for the upcoming NFL Draft.

The next player to announce he is opting out of the season in order to prepare for the draft came this morning in Minnesota wide receiver Rashod Bateman–by many accounts the best wide receiver in the Big Ten.

Bateman will not be the last, as around the country players have began to weigh their options and decide what is best for both their health and their NFL prospects.

The Minnesota receiver along with Purdue’s Rondale Moore are the only Big Ten receivers projected to go in the first round by TheDraftNetwork, with Moore going No. 26 and Bateman No. 30 in their latest 2021 NFL mock draft.

Aside from the health factors that may have weighed heavily in Bateman’s decision, his opt out will have a significant effect on the football field as now Minnesota and quarterback Tanner Morgan are without their No. 1 threat on the outside, losing a player that caught 60 passes last year for 1219 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Last year the Golden Gophers were able to find connections down the field early and often during their impressive 11-2 campaign. Now with Tyler Johnson on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Bateman opting out of the season, they’re losing a combined 2537 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns–practically the entirety of their 2019 passing attack.

Players expected to step into those roles include upperclassmen Chris Autman-Bell, Demetrius Douglas and Seth Green, though Golden Gopher fans know that recreating Johnson and Bateman’s 2019 production is next to an impossible task.

Minnesota will meet the Badgers at Camp Randall this season in a game that figures to be the Big Ten West title game with the winner likely heading to the conference championship.

And now, after today, they will do so without the conference’s best receiver in future first round pick Rashod Bateman.

 

Players have until Thursday to opt-out for the 2020 NFL season

So far John Atkins and Geronimo Allison have opted-out

After a few days without any real clarity on a deadline, NFL players finally got a definite endpoint for their time to choose if they want to play in the 2020 season. On Monday, the NFL established the deadline for opting-out at 4 p.m. on Thursday, August 6th.

The NFL owners and the NFL Players Association agreed to the terms Monday night. The long-reported deadline of seven days from the time of the agreement was amended to the shorter deadline. USA TODAY reports some teams were worried that players would abuse the opt-out clause, and teams also wanted the ability to plan to replace those who do elect to not play due to COVID-19 concerns.

Thus far the only Lions players to opt-out are DT John Atkins and WR Geronimo Allison.

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Geronimo Allison explains why he opted out of 2020

Detroit Lions wide receiver Geronimo Allison took to social media to explain why he opted out of the 2020 NFL season.

On Sunday, Detroit Lions wide receiver Geronimo Allison opted out of the 2020 NFL season and took to social media to explain why he made that decision.

Here’s what Allison had to say, via his Instagram account:

“One of the greatest joys of my life has been playing professional football. I wasn’t sure anything could ever top that until my wife and I welcomed a beautiful baby girl into the world, just a few months ago. I reported to training camp as a new dad, hopeful to play this season.

“However, with still so much uncertainty around this very scary virus and the intense desire to protect the health and well-being of my family, I have decided to opt out of this season. I want to thank the Detroit Lions organization, the Ford Family, and the National Football League for allowing me to play the game I love and supporting me through this unbelievably difficult decision. I am looking forward to next season.”

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One of the greatest joys of my life has been playing professional football. I wasn’t sure anything could ever top that until my wife and I welcomed a beautiful baby girl into the world, just a few months ago. I reported to training camp as a new dad, hopeful to play this season. However, with still so much uncertainty around this very scary virus and the intense desire to protect the health and well-being of my family, I have decided to opt out of this season. I want to thank the Detroit Lions organization, the Ford Family, and the National Football League for allowing me to play the game I love and supporting me through this unbelievably difficult decision. I am looking forward to next season.

A post shared by Geronimo Allison (@geronimooooo) on

After sitting out 2020, Allison will revert back to the Lions roster in 2021 where his one-year deal will toll towards next season.

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How does Ja’Wuan James opting out impact the Broncos’ salary cap?

How will Ja’Wuan James opting out impact the Broncos’ salary cap?

Before right tackle Ja’Wuan James opted out of the 2020 season, Spotrac.com estimated that the Broncos had about $16.3 million in salary cap space. Denver will get some cap relief from James’ contract this year but most of it will be tolled and added to the team’s 2021 cap hit.

James was supposed to have a base salary of $10 million this season and prorated signing bonus cap hit of $3 million (a total cap hit of $13 million). By opting out of 2020, James will simply be bumping this year’s salary and prorated bonus to 2021, according to Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com.

The Broncos will have $13 million added to their 2020 salary cap total but the team will have to account for that $13 million cap hit in 2021. If he is not deemed a “higher risk” opt-out, James will receive a $150,0000 advance toward his 2021 base salary. So his exact cap hit will be $12.85 million next season.

After adding that $13 million to the $16.3 million Denver already had, the Broncos have about $29.3 million in available salary cap space. Denver will probably want to roll over as much cap space as possible into 2021, though, so don’t expect the Broncos to go on a spending binge.

Here are nine free agent tackles Denver should consider signing.

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Twitter reacts to Broncos RT Ja’Wuan James opting out of season

Here’s how Twitter reacted when Broncos right tackle opted out of the 2020 season.

Broncos veteran Ja’Wuan James has decided to opt-out of the 2020 season, leaving Denver to determine a new starter at right tackle.

Here’s a sampling of how Twitter reacted to the news:

James will see his contract toll and will now be under contract for the 2021-2023 seasons. His four-year deal is worth a total of $51 million.

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Broncos RT Ja’Wuan James tweets statement after opting out of season

Broncos right tackle Ja’Wuan James explains his decision to opt-out of the 2020 season.

After opting out of the 2020 season, Denver Broncos right tackle Ja’Wuan James tweeted the following statement:

After continuous conversation with my family over the past couple weeks about the NFL figuring out the plan for the 2020 season, I’ve decided to opt out. It is tough, but the right decision. There’s just too much unknown about this virus and about plans handling it going forward. My wife and I were blessed with our newborn son May 22 and he’s now my top priority. Although I worked all offseason and invested in my body to bounce back and have a great year on the field, it’s just not worth risking the health of my loved ones. I’ve seen this virus already hospitalize one of my family members and hope to not have that happen again. We can’t live in fear or just confine ourselves just to ur homes but we all have to make the right conscious choices and navigate through day to day life to protect our neighbors. 

To my teammates I reached out to before making this decision, I appreciate your input and acknowledgment that the man comes first before the football player. All my brothers around the league, I pray for you and your families’ safety throughout the season and rest of this pandemic. To the Denver Community, these first two years weren’t what I expected them to be when arriving here. I know you don’t know we well and a false narrative was painted of me last year due to comments made about my injury, but I am invested in this city and my team. I look forward to the future we have here, but in that same breath, I’m even more invested in my family. Everyone make sure to stay positive through these crazy times and enjoy your loved ones. I hope 2021 will be a better year for all of us. Take care of yourselves, because ultimately, health is wealth. 

Denver is expected to have Elijah Wilkinson replace James at right tackle.

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