NFL, NFLPA Considering Individual Player Opt-Outs

[soulman]

NFL, NFLPA in talks about possible player opt-outs over coronavirus concerns

Alyssa Barbieri

4 hours ago

There have been a number of obstacles that NFL teams like the Chicago Bears have dealt with over the last several months with the coronavirus pandemic.

While there have been some challenges — including an entirely virtual offseason — things are on track for the start of the 2020 season.

Still, one of the obvious concerns is player health, and NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that the NFL and NFLPA are currently discussing potential player opt-outs with coronavirus cases on the rise.

Pelissero said that the league and union believe player opt-outs will be available, but that they’ll need to be communicated by a certain date.

My understanding is both the union and the league intend to have an opt-out for players who have either a pre-existing condition, family (members) with pre-existing conditions, just general concerns over COVID-19, would not want to play this season,” Pelissero said. “General managers were told on a call earlier this week there would be a specific date by which players would need to opt-out. That date is still to be determined.”

With training camp set to begin in just a few weeks, the NFL and NFLPA need to act quick when it comes to details of any potential opt-outs ahead of the 2020 season.

Edited July 9, 2020 by soulman

[soulman]

This could create an even crazier wild card season depending on how many players do opt-out and who they are.

[dll2000]

I would imagine if they opt out the don't get paid.  I think few will do that.

 

[soulman]

51 minutes ago, dll2000 said:

I would imagine if they opt out the don't get paid.  I think few will do that.

 

 

That's a given but what price do some put on their health or even their lives?  Right now I believe the entire NFL is holding breath they don't have massive breakouts during camps that might force them to cancel the entire season.

[beardown3231]

1 hour ago, soulman said:

 

That's a given but what price do some put on their health or even their lives?  Right now I believe the entire NFL is holding breath they don't have massive breakouts during camps that might force them to cancel the entire season.

I keep wondering something similar, except what happens if a team has a huge breakout the week of a playoff game or even the Super Bowl? Bizarre times indeed

[dll2000]

2 hours ago, soulman said:

 

That's a given but what price do some put on their health or even their lives?  Right now I believe the entire NFL is holding breath they don't have massive breakouts during camps that might force them to cancel the entire season.

Reality is if you are healthy and in NFL age group your risk of anything other than feeling bad for a short time is extremely low.   The danger would be you giving it to other people close to you who are at risk.

So if you live with someone elderly or who has a condition that would be a factor to consider strongly.    But NFL players being wealthy would probably simply make other living arrangements for season for themselves or their loved ones so they can continue to earn money during their short earning years.

But even many young healthy people are afraid despite odds.   So yes you are correct, some may opt out because they don't want that risk

.

 

 

 

 

[dll2000]

When they say they are testing players regularly - does that mean the Q-tip to the brain?

I can't imagine the players doing that on the daily.   That would suck.

[JAF-N72EX]

On 7/10/2020 at 2:59 PM, dll2000 said:

I would imagine if they opt out the don't get paid.  I think few will do that.

I think they will still get paid but not as much.

The owners and NFLPA are talking about still paying out a percentage of the yearly salary for those who do opt out. That's the best way to do it. And if ths is an option then I think alot more players are going to choose to sit out rather than take the risk.

 

On 7/10/2020 at 6:10 PM, dll2000 said:

Reality is if you are healthy and in NFL age group your risk of anything other than feeling bad for a short time is extremely low.   The danger would be you giving it to other people close to you who are at risk.

So if you live with someone elderly or who has a condition that would be a factor to consider strongly.    But NFL players being wealthy would probably simply make other living arrangements for season for themselves or their loved ones so they can continue to earn money during their short earning years.

But even many young healthy people are afraid despite odds.   So yes you are correct, some may opt out because they don't want that risk

You are severely underestimating the C19 virus. 

They're finding out that their original theory about C19 mainly affecting older people was way off since we now have some sort of bases to go on wheras before we didn't in the past.  In fact, we're finding out that a large number of cases are from those under the age of 35 (the NFL age group). 

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/coronavirus-and-covid-19-younger-adults-are-at-risk-too

Quote

 

Early data coming out of China focused on older people, especially those living with major health problems, as those most likely to be seriously affected by COVID-19. As information reached the U.S., it seemed that the coronavirus was mostly a threat to the elderly and those with other underlying health issues.

Now, as testing slowly ramps up in the U.S., there are more recognized cases here and the trends are becoming clearer.

Data in a March 16, 2020, report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are showing that younger adults are also getting COVID-19, and some are requiring hospitalization, even intensive care.

For example, the CDC report shows that as of March 16, 2020, 508 people were hospitalized for COVID-19 in the U.S. Of these, 38% were between 20 and 54 years old. Half of those ending up in intensive care were younger than 65.

Officials in Europe are noting the same trend, with reports that half of serious cases in France and the Netherlands are in people under age 50.

 

 

And it's not just, as you put it, feeling bad for a short time either.  this isn't like getting the flu where you recover after a week or two and the things are back to business as usual.  

There's also long lasting effects with C19 even after recovery ranging from damaged scar tissue in and around the lungs to short term memory loss.  A relatively high percentage of those who have been diagnosed with C19 are still experiencing other symptoms and side effects.

https://www.bannerhealth.com/healthcareblog/teach-me/what-long-term-effects-could-covid19-have-on-your-lungs

 

Quote

 

Long-Term Effects of COVID-19

With less than a year of cases, identifying the long-term effects of COVID-19 can feel a little bit like predicting the future. However, Dr. Bime emphasized that this coronavirus causes a well-known syndrome known as Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). In ARDS fluid builds up in the tiny air sacs of the lung called alveoli, limiting the ability to exchange carbon dioxide for oxygen. Dr. Bime explained that people who have recovered from ARDS may deal with:

• Limited lung capacity compared to their peers.
• Psychiatric issues such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, cognitive impairment, and anxiety, due to the trauma of the illness and treatment.
• Kidney complications which could lead to a need for long-term dialysis.
• Poor conditioning due to limited lung and/or organ function.

The areas of “ground glass” in CT scans of COVID-19 patients show where damage may be accumulating. Damage to lung tissue often results in scarring, which can limit the elasticity of the lung and decrease its function even after the initial damage has passed. “The body has an amazing way of healing and each patient is unique,” said Dr. Bime. “In some cases, scarring can partially heal, returning functionality to damaged lungs.”

While COVID-19-associated ARDS shares a lot with “traditional” ARDS, we are watching for unique long-term effects for victims of the pandemic. Dr. Bime reassured us that “while it is possible, there is no evidence that recovering from COVID-19 makes you more susceptible to lung cancer and other serious conditions."

 

 

https://www.vox.com/2020/5/8/21251899/coronavirus-long-term-effects-symptoms

Quote

 

At first, Lauren Nichols tried to explain away her symptoms. In early March, the healthy 32-year-old felt an intense burning sensation, like acid reflux, when she breathed. Embarrassed, she didn’t initially seek medical care. When her shortness of breath kept getting worse, her doctor tested her for Covid-19.

Her results came back positive. But for Nichols, that was just the beginning. Over the next eight weeks, she developed wide and varied symptoms, including extreme and chronic fatigue, diarrhea, nausea, tremors, headaches, difficulty concentrating, and short-term memory loss.

“The guidelines that were provided by the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] were not appropriately capturing the symptoms that I was experiencing, which in turn meant that the medical community was unable to ‘validate’ my symptoms,” she says. “This became a vicious cycle of doubt, confusion, and loneliness.”

An estimated 40 to 45 percent of people with Covid-19 may be asymptomatic, and others will have a mild illness with no lasting symptoms. But Nichols is one of many Covid-19 patients who are finding their recovery takes far longer than the two weeks the World Health Organization says people with mild cases can expect. (The WHO says those with severe or critical cases can expect three to six weeks of recovery.)

 

 

 

 

[JAF-N72EX]

People are being stupid about this **** and are putting others at risk because of it. 

[beardown3231]

3 hours ago, JustAnotherFan said:

People are being stupid about this **** and are putting others at risk because of it. 

PREACH

[abstract_thought]

I'll just say that any statistic that does not control for population size is somewhere between useless and intentionally misleading. Reporting things like a breakdown of hospitalizations by age group is meaningless if not controlled for how many people are tested. Symptoms need to be reported within the context of prevalence.

If we're going to make intelligent decisions about this situation, we need to base them on statistics that are properly defined.

[BeaReylo]

On 7/15/2020 at 6:21 AM, JustAnotherFan said:

I think they will still get paid but not as much.

The owners and NFLPA are talking about still paying out a percentage of the yearly salary for those who do opt out. That's the best way to do it. And if ths is an option then I think alot more players are going to choose to sit out rather than take the risk.

 

You are severely underestimating the C19 virus. 

They're finding out that their original theory about C19 mainly affecting older people was way off since we now have some sort of bases to go on wheras before we didn't in the past.  In fact, we're finding out that a large number of cases are from those under the age of 35 (the NFL age group). 

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/coronavirus-and-covid-19-younger-adults-are-at-risk-too

 

And it's not just, as you put it, feeling bad for a short time either.  this isn't like getting the flu where you recover after a week or two and the things are back to business as usual.  

There's also long lasting effects with C19 even after recovery ranging from damaged scar tissue in and around the lungs to short term memory loss.  A relatively high percentage of those who have been diagnosed with C19 are still experiencing other symptoms and side effects.

https://www.bannerhealth.com/healthcareblog/teach-me/what-long-term-effects-could-covid19-have-on-your-lungs

 

 

https://www.vox.com/2020/5/8/21251899/coronavirus-long-term-effects-symptoms

 

 

 

I'll throw this in the list too.  Even without getting paid this year many players will be okay, financially speaking.  

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.si.com/.amp/more-sports/2020/04/06/effects-of-coronavirus-on-athletes-bodies

[JAF-N72EX]

On 7/19/2020 at 10:41 PM, FosterTheSkins said:

I'll throw this in the list too.  Even without getting paid this year many players will be okay, financially speaking.  

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.si.com/.amp/more-sports/2020/04/06/effects-of-coronavirus-on-athletes-bodies

This was actually a very good read. Thanks for posting it. And yes, I agree, the players will be fine financially.  That's what the union is for, right? .

This part of the article below, among others, only further highlights the legit personal concerns the players may have with coming "back to work", per-say.  Alot of these players have certain conditions where the symptoms of those conditions could possibly be heightened if they contracted the C19 virus (Asthema, sickle cell, diabetes, etc), and putting them into an environment where they're in direct contact with a large number of people only furthers raises those risks.

Early data suggest about 80% of the infected population is asymptomatic or experiencing “mild” symptoms like a fever, persistent dry cough or shortness of breath. According to the CDC, about 14% of those aged 20–44 reach the moderate stage, which requires hospitalization and oxygen but not a ventilator. Patients affected most severely develop acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), in which survival depends on access to a ventilator, typically in an intensive care unit. According to the CDC, only 2% of people aged 20–44 require treatment in an ICU, and .1% die.

What might the consequences to their athletic careers be for that sliver of the young population placed on ventilators? A study of 12 hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Hong Kong found that three of them displayed a 20%–30% diminishment of lung capacity in the near term. That is an exceedingly small sample, though, and since the virus is so new, the horizon beyond a few weeks is unknown. Dr. John Balmes, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco who specializes in pulmonary and critical care, warns its far too early in the virus’s trajectory to determine whether there’s risk for lasting structural damage and reduced lung function. He adds, though, that comparable afflictions typically do not have lasting impacts on lung capacity or structure.

That being said, any athletes who are placed on ventilators may require physical therapy to rebuild muscles that support the lungs, which can atrophy as the machine breathes for them. And athletes dealing with asthma may also have additional cause for concern: Balmes points to numerous studies that have shown viral respiratory infections like COVID-19 can worsen asthma’s effects on a persistent basis, heightening the body’s inflammatory response even after the virus has been cleared.