Add another team to the list of squads that will be skipping in-person offseason workouts. Via the NFLPA (on Twitter), Raiders players announced that they will not be attending their voluntary workouts.
“We have come together as a team to discuss the important issues related to our health and safety,” the statement read. “We know the devastating impact COVID-19 has had on our membership, our families and our home city of Las Vegas this past year, and we continue to feel for everyone in our community and our country who has been impacted by the coronavirus.
“Given the data and facts shared by our union about rescued injuries and other health benefits of the virtual off-season last year, players from our team will not participate in a voluntary in-person workout program. We respect those players on our team and across the NFL who have contractual incentives linked to their participation in the program, but we stand in solidarity with our fellow players who are making the best decision on behalf of themselves and their families.”
Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review Journal tweets that the player vote was not unanimous, but a decision was ultimately made “to move forward together.” The reporter also notes that “accommodations” will also be made for players who had incentives tied to these voluntary workouts.
The Raiders join a long list of teams that have announced that they’ll be opting out of these workouts, a grouping that includes the Seahawks, Giants, Browns, Bears, Patriots, Lions, Buccaneers, and Broncos.
The NFL recently responded to some player complaints with a memo touting the benefits of in-person workouts at team facilities, which you can read courtesy of this tweet from Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. The league points out that any player who gets hurt at an in-person workout will be covered financially, but a player who gets hurt while working out on their own won’t be.
Soy boys
The hoax continues. Another lost season, this team needs every minute of practice that is allowed.
“We have come together as a team to discuss the important issues related to our health and safety,”
I find this to be an interesting sentence. Football players knowingly play a dangerous game. Every year, hundreds of players have pretty dramatic surgeries to recover from injuries. More than other sports. So why play a game where health risks are a part of the league?
arty! • 9 hours ago
So why play a game where health risks are a part of the league?
===================================
I’m not sure what the question is? I presume they play the game for the glory of it.
And maybe the millions they make playing it.
If their so concerned for their health, find a new occupation. That’s the point. They’re comfortable with torn up knees, elbows, backs, shoulders, neck, and on & on the list grows. But COVID poses a greater threat too them?
Or, maybe they consider Covid an unnecessary risk. You play because you have to play. I’m not sure it is necessary to work out at the team’s facility.
This is getting ridiculous. As a former professional athlete, I understand the need to lessen the load on your body, which is why I agreed when they went away from 2X practices in training camp. I thought it was great for player health. But now? Not only did they do away with 2X a day training camp, but during TC they only are allowed pads and contact I believe 15 times? No contact during OTA’s, can’t even now be on hand for the voluntary workouts, which were training sessions and learning schemes and techniques.
It’s no wonder the quality of play has gone down, and I believe the amount of injuries have gone up. The Human Body needs to become conditioned to activity. Yes there are going to be injuries in sports (wether they are contact sports or not) but proper training, nutrition and techniques help to combat them.
Lastly, as for the Unions ‘studies and data. Don’t you think it’s a bit self serving? Especially since most players (unless those with workout bonuses) don’t get paid during the OTA’s. If they were (and don’t be surprised they push for it in the next CBA) they would be there and the Unions ‘data’ would suggest the benefits of the workouts.
Like it was said earlier by a commenter, the quality off play will continue to go down and this will be another lost season.
Hey, if you can poke holes in the NFLPA’s injury stats with contrary data, feel free. I’d also like to see any numbers you have for injuries going up after the previous reductions in training time, etc..
In Tretter’s original letter to the players on March 31st (link to nflpa.com), he spent all of two sentences specifically on COVID: “The pandemic is not over, and despite increasing vaccination rates, the number of infections are on the rise. Even the most aggressive estimates put herd immunity in the U.S. at some time in early August.”
The bulk of the letter had to do with the side effects of the COVID precautions, which I’m guessing the Raiders players didn’t detail in their statement : a 30% reduction in concussions over the average of the previous five years, a 23% reduction in “missed-game” injuries, and a 45% decrease in heat-related illnesses. Tretter also duly noted that ACL tears and all categories of lower extremity strains were not reduced by the virtual off-season, cancellation of the pre-season, etc., etc., so there is work to be done to get those injury rates down.
Tretter spent the rest of his piece arguing that the game didn’t suffer from all that missed practice and playing time, and cited some stats regarding performance, competitiveness and parity to make his case. I take those arguments with a grain of salt.
Any union worth its salt should be continuously working for permanent reductions in the number of injuries and preventable illnesses suffered by its membership, and that’s what the NFLPA is doing.
Seems that the product has been in decline for several years now. Athletes seem more concerned about outside issues than what they are paid for. It shows on the field and the coverage the league receives. Most of the coverage is the drama not the games.
Or maybe, just maybe, they are concerned about preventing traumatic brain injuries, CTE and ALS, as well as other non-concussion related injuries, and heat-related illnesses.
Just a thought.
they are optional. anyone wanting to avoid these injuries can choose not to participate.