A wide array of noteworthy NFL players took to Twitter on Sunday to express concern over the league's COVID-19 protocols less than a day after it was announced training camps would start as scheduled on July 28.
Each player punctuated their statement with the hashtag, #WeWantToPlay.
All 32 teams participated in a conference call Friday that provided updates regarding the latest information related to the ongoing pandemic and the start of the 2020 season.
Following the call, NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy tweeted out a statement from the league:
"NFL clubs met today via videoconference and received an update on preparations for the 2020 season. We will continue to implement the health and safety protocols developed jointly with the NFLPA, and based on the advice of leading medical experts, including review by the CDC. We will address additional issues in a cooperative way. All decisions will be made in an effort to put us in position to play a full regular season and postseason culminating with the Super Bowl which is the shared goal of the clubs and the players."
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero later reported, per an informed source, that each team has submitted infectious disease emergency response plans, which have been approved by NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills as well as joint infectious disease experts. He added that the union also must approve before teams can have more than 20 players in building.
Getting ready to report this week hoping the @NFL will come to agreement with the safe and right protocols so we can feel protected playing the sport we love #WeWantToPlay
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) July 19, 2020
If the NFL doesn’t do their part to keep players healthy there is no football in 2020. It’s that simple. #WeWantToPlay
— Myles Garrett ⚡️ (@MylesLGarrett) July 19, 2020
I am concerned.
— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) July 19, 2020
My wife is pregnant.@NFL Training camp is about to start..
And there’s still No Clear Plan on Player Health & Family Safety. 🤷🏾
We want to play football but we also want to protect our loved ones. #WeWantToPlay
— Michael Thomas (@Cantguardmike) July 19, 2020
It’s a shame that the @nfl doesn’t care about doing their part to keep players healthy and safe. They need to make sure football can come back the right way. We have to look out for ourselves as well as our families. #WeWantToPlay
— AD_99 (@AaronDonald97) July 19, 2020
@NFL pic.twitter.com/hdkIg35RTz
— Odell Beckham Jr (@obj) July 19, 2020
Crazy to see how the NFL is not following the recommendations of its own experts regarding health and safety for Us as players! As of today questions have not been answered and we want to play football. Y’all want to watch football this year?#WeWantToPlay
— Jarvis Juice Landry (@God_Son80) July 19, 2020
What you are seeing today is our guys standing up for each other and for the work their union leadership has done to keep everyone as safe as possible. The NFL needs to listen to our union and adopt the experts' recommendations #wewanttoplay
— JC Tretter (@JCTretter) July 19, 2020
You want to watch football this year? Us players need to remain healthy in order to make that happen. The @NFL needs to do their part in order to bring football back safely in 2020. #WeWantToPlay
— Todd Gurley II (@TG3II) July 19, 2020
The NFL has ignored the safety recommendations from the experts that THEY hired. We all love this game and want to go out and compete with our brothers. The NFL needs to provide a safe work environment for us to do that. #WeWantToPlay
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) July 19, 2020
Playing football and feeling safe at work SHOULD NOT be mutually exclusive! Time is running down and we need answers #WeWantToPlay pic.twitter.com/YPboNL47Mf
— Zach Ertz (@ZERTZ_86) July 19, 2020
If #AdamSilver can respect the voices and protect his @NBA players why can’t @NFLcommish do the same? Listen to your players. If we want to have a full season it will have to look different with OUR safety as the priority. @NFL make the necessary changes. #WeWantToPlay
— DIGGS (@stefondiggs) July 19, 2020
We all want to play this season, but we need to stay safe in order to actually have a season! It’s time for the @NFL to step up and do their part so that us players can be safe at work and go play the game we love! #WeWantToPlay
— Carson Wentz (@cj_wentz) July 19, 2020
#WeWantToPlay We just wanna be safe. We want our families to be safe. ❤️
— Jaylon Smith (@thejaylonsmith) July 19, 2020
It blows my mind that the NFL is unwilling to follow the recommendations of their own experts regarding player health and safety. If we want to have a FULL season this year we need the NFL to listen to their experts! #WeWantToPlay pic.twitter.com/q55RpqRzPu
— Malcolm Jenkins (@MalcolmJenkins) July 19, 2020
Once again in the interest of keeping everyone (players & fans) as informed as possible, here is an updated list of what we as players know and don’t know as the first group gets set to report to training camp tomorrow.#WeWantToPlay pic.twitter.com/xQcjs33zgM
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) July 19, 2020
We need Football! We need sports! We need hope! The NFL’s unwillingness to follow the recommendations of their own medical experts will prevent that. If the NFL doesn’t do their part to keep players healthy there is no football in 2020. It’s that simple. Get it done @NFL
— Drew Brees (@drewbrees) July 19, 2020
— Taylor Lewan (@TaylorLewan77) July 19, 2020
Why isn’t the NFL listening to the recommendation from their own joint committee? If we want to have a full season it will have to look different. @NFL make the necessary changes. #WeWantToPlay
— Darius Slay (@bigplay24slay) July 19, 2020
Do y’all want to see this??
— Deandre Hopkins (@DeAndreHopkins) July 19, 2020
Before players can go back to work the @NFL needs to address the health and safety concerns from their own experts so we can remain healthy. If you want the @AZCardinals to have a full season this year help us by telling the @NFL! #WeWantToPlay pic.twitter.com/CErsyZJb1A
You want to watch football this year? Us players need to remain healthy in order to make that happen. The NFL needs to do their part in order to bring football back safely in 2020. Please address health and safety concerns so we can play football this year. We want to play!
— Jared Goff (@JaredGoff16) July 19, 2020
Being a champion made me realize how important team is & also how important our families are to our team success. It’s a family game. #WeWantToPlay so let’s find a way to protect us players & our families.
— Tyrann Mathieu (@Mathieu_Era) July 19, 2020
@NFL, please address health and safety concerns so we can play football this year! #itsonlyright #cantwait
— Khalil Mack (@FiftyDeuce) July 19, 2020
I want to play ball this year! But we are going to need the @NFL to make sure they are listening to everyone and taking the steps for the players and their families to be safe! #WeWantToPlay
— Derek Carr (@derekcarrqb) July 19, 2020
We want to play. We want to be a beacon of light during these tough times. All we ask is for the @NFL to listen and cooperate with the doctors and scientist to collectively come up with a health and safety plan with the @NFLPA so the players can do what we love. #WeWanttoPlay
— David Bakhtiari (@DavidBakhtiari) July 19, 2020
There won’t be an @NFL season if we don’t put players health and safety first. Who’s playing the games if we’re all sick? #WeWanttoPlay
— DeForest Buckner (@DeForestBuckner) July 19, 2020
The @NFL has disregarded the recommendations of their OWN health & safety committees. We have continued asking questions and have YET to receive any definitive answers. #WeWantToPlay but we also want to keep our families safe.
— Randall Cobb (@rcobb18) July 19, 2020
The NFL continues to ignore major health and safety concerns putting the 2020 season in jeopardy. America wants to watch football and we want to play. Make the necessary changes @nflcommish #WeWantToPlay
— Byron Jones (@Byron31Jump) July 19, 2020
Just make it make sense; @NFL . This isn’t a “wait it out and see” situation; we are talking about lives! The health and safety of our players should be of the utmost importance & right now your current stance on this is a ill reflection of that. #WeWantToPlay
— Larry Ogunjobi (@Mr_Ogunjobi) July 19, 2020
The NFL needs to do their part by putting the right safety protocols in place before we begin to play, in order for us to protect ourselves and our families if we want to have a full season #WeWanttoPlay
— James White (@SweetFeet_White) July 19, 2020
It’s crazy to hear the NFL has yet to address major health and safety issues with training camp being 2 weeks away. We want to play football. Make it happen @NFL. Keep us safe! #WeWanttoPlay
— DK Metcalf (@dkm14) July 19, 2020
@NFL we love this game. Do the right thing and make the game safe for us and our families... #WeWantToPlay
— Devin&Jason McCourty (@McCourtyTwins) July 19, 2020
@NFL listen to your players...We want to have a full season but the NFL has to make changes to accommodate this new environment. Just make the necessary changes! #WeWantToPlay
— Demario Davis #56 (@demario__davis) July 19, 2020
Echoing the words of my NFL brothers.. #WeWanttoPlay but how are we expected to do that when the @NFL is ignoring our voices by not taking the proper precautions so we can do so. They want us to report with no plan. How is that supposed to work? @NFL Figure it out #WeWanttoPlay
— Gerald McCoy (@Geraldini93) July 19, 2020
Trust me, NFL players want to play more than the fans want to watch, but we want our families and us as safe as possible. The @NFL has the ability to make that happen, but will they? ⏰tickin.... #WeWanttoPlay
— David Johnson (@DavidJohnson31) July 19, 2020
When you ask us to play in a pandemic, Health and safety guidelines should not be used as a bargaining chip.#WeWantToPlay
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) July 19, 2020
#WeWantToPlay but not if we are not protected. We want to know that PLAYERS safety is important. At this point it hasn’t been a priority. We report back in a week. Some sooner. @NFL @nflcommish
— Eric Ebron (@Ebron85) July 19, 2020
Everyone I’ve spoke with is in the same mental space at this point. #WeWanttoPlay but more than anything we want to remain healthy and that also means keeping our wives, kids, and other family healthy as well. @NFL its bigger than $ handle this properly.
— Davante Adams (@tae15adams) July 19, 2020
I want to play. But I also want my health to be valued more than the entertainment I bring through my play for God! #WeWantToPlay
— Tyler Lockett (@TDLockett12) July 19, 2020
We want to play no doubt but the @nfl needs to create a safe workspace for us to return to work. Without a safe workspace we are putting our families and loved ones at risk don’t feel it’s fair.
— Derwin James Jr (@DerwinJames) July 19, 2020
It’s crazy to hear the NFL has yet to address major health and safety issues with training camp being 2 weeks away. We want to play football. Make it happen @NFL. Keep us safe!#WeWantToPlay
— Kyler Murray (@K1) July 19, 2020
It is disheartening to hear the NFL is unwilling to follow the recommendations of their own experts regarding player health & safety. If we want to have a FULL season the NFL needs to listen to their experts! #WeWantToPlay @NFL
— Deshaun Watson (@deshaunwatson) July 19, 2020
The @NFL needs to create a safe environment for us to play...we shouldn’t have to risk our health & our family’s ❗️ pic.twitter.com/LbJSNyWeZi
— Shaq Thompson (@ShaqThompson_7) July 19, 2020
Why isn’t the NFL listening to the recommendation from is own joint committee? If we want to have a full season it will have to look different. @NFL make the necessary changes. #WeWanttoPlay
— cameron jordan (@camjordan94) July 19, 2020
