The 2020 NFL Season Of COVID Gets An Asterisk

[chevss454]

I wish the contracts didn't toll. If you opt out, I can respect that but the contract for this year should void. If you have multiple years left, you just start up with the 2021 contract next year. After all they are not getting any younger.

If they didn't toll, Hightower would be a FA after this year is done.
That wouldn't be fair to the Pats. Tolling is a good thing.

 

[foobahl]

Is it fair to the Pats that contracts they were hoping to retire at the end of this year to clear cap space ( and next year has a lower cap) will toll too? The Pats would have had to have made a decision next year anyway. We're onto 2021 would be my rallying cry.

 

[spacecrime]

Is it fair to the Pats that contracts they were hoping to retire at the end of this year to clear cap space ( and next year has a lower cap) will toll too? The Pats would have had to have made a decision next year anyway. We're onto 2021 would be my rallying cry.

Ummm, we haven't played 2020 yet. I doubt the Patriots are as willing as you to write off an entire season.

But why wouldn't it be fair to toll the contract? They have cleared cap space this year, the player's entire salary. They retain the rights to a player and can play him next year if they want or cut him next year if they don't.

Where's the downside?

 

[spacecrime]

The elephant in the room that the media isn't talking about is how many are actually sick?

That's why testing players is so important. Younger, healthier people often have the virus without symptoms but they can still pass on the virus to others who are more at risk. Birx said it:

Birx said that among the states officials are tracking, there seems to be a "household" pattern of infections that starts with young people, usually less than 30 years old. Those residents, who are usually asymptomatic, then transmit the virus to their parents who then transmit it to other, older residents, she said.
- above bold text from WMUR TV, Manchester NH

These are young men, with parents and grand parents. The risk might be small but the consequences of being one who passes it on to a grandparent with a respiratory illness could mean death. Some people aren't willing to that risk. More people should realize this and stop criticizing players for doing what they think best for themselves and their families.

 

[king of kings]

Ummm, we haven't played 2020 yet. I doubt the Patriots are as willing as you to write off an entire season.

But why wouldn't it be fair to toll the contract? They have cleared cap space this year, the player's entire salary. They retain the rights to a player and can play him next year if they want or cut him next year if they don't.

Where's the downside?

They took the 150,000 opt out. Now making less then Newton while their contract rolls over to next year .

 

[SkiptoMyLou]

That's why testing players is so important. Younger, healthier people often have the virus without symptoms but they can still pass on the virus to others who are more at risk. Birx said it:

Birx said that among the states officials are tracking, there seems to be a "household" pattern of infections that starts with young people, usually less than 30 years old. Those residents, who are usually asymptomatic, then transmit the virus to their parents who then transmit it to other, older residents, she said.
- above bold text from WMUR TV, Manchester NH

These are young men, with parents and grand parents. The risk might be small but the consequences of being one who passes it on to a grandparent with a respiratory illness could mean death. Some people aren't willing to that risk. More people should realize this and stop criticizing players for doing what they think best for themselves and their families.

Not only that but they are taking 150k when they are leaving literally millions to opt out for the season. To consider them selfish is just asinine.

 

[HSanders]

I don't belive that asymptomatic transfer is common.
How many would be "doing the right thing for their families" if they weren't making any money at all this year? Quite a few players have made enough to live on with no salary this year, but they are playing. Is that then just greed and not caring about family? I sure wouldn't say that. I'm not ready to call the opt outs candidates for sainthood based on doing no work and getting a 150k stipend.
And as Mike Robinson pointed out on NFLN yesterday, will these players be more safe doing whatever they will be doing instead? Hard to say.
It's just an option and a choice, no more, no less.

 

[foobahl]

Ummm, we haven't played 2020 yet. I doubt the Patriots are as willing as you to write off an entire season.

But why wouldn't it be fair to toll the contract? They have cleared cap space this year, the player's entire salary. They retain the rights to a player and can play him next year if they want or cut him next year if they don't.

Where's the downside?

Apologize if I wasn't clear enough. To what you quoted, I was speaking specifically to the opt outs. Next year there will probably be yet another draft class to fill roster spots. The cap will be smaller. I understand that these are good players. If BB thinks as far ahead as people say, I would think he had planned on some of these guys not being there. He had them under contract for this year. There is good and bad to each view on this. I just happen to believe that letting the contracts run is the best way forward. With guaranties and signing bonuses, can a team just cut a high money player? What would be the dead cap hit?

 

[Dwight Schrute]

I don't belive that asymptomatic transfer is common.
How many would be "doing the right thing for their families" if they weren't making any money at all this year? Quite a few players have made enough to live on with no salary this year, but they are playing. Is that then just greed and not caring about family? I sure wouldn't say that. I'm not ready to call the opt outs candidates for sainthood based on doing no work and getting a 150k stipend.
And as Mike Robinson pointed out on NFLN yesterday, will these players be more safe doing whatever they will be doing instead? Hard to say.
It's just an option and a choice, no more, no less.

At this point I don’t really care. I’d really like High and Vitale on this roster but Bill will make do and yet another will blossom on the vine.

It’ll be very interesting if these folk take the Tibetan monk approach to avoid Covid. Or if some of them catch it in WalMart. Or Da Club. In which case they say “Hmmm...maybe I shouldn’t have left those millions on the table.”

 

[spacecrime]

I don't belive that asymptomatic transfer is common.
How many would be "doing the right thing for their families" if they weren't making any money at all this year? Quite a few players have made enough to live on with no salary this year, but they are playing. Is that then just greed and not caring about family? I sure wouldn't say that. I'm not ready to call the opt outs candidates for sainthood based on doing no work and getting a 150k stipend.
And as Mike Robinson pointed out on NFLN yesterday, will these players be more safe doing whatever they will be doing instead? Hard to say.
It's just an option and a choice, no more, no less.

I don't think it's greed and I don't think it's sainthood. It's an individual decision for sure. Each player, or each person in the country, must make their own decision. I know that if I had made enough money and didn't need to work, I wouldn't. Why take the added risk?

It is sad and heartbreaking that most Americans need to work though the pandemic, but that doesn't mean to that that is a reason for those who don't have to to continue to work.

It's true that they might still get COVID after not working, but that doesn't make opting out a wrong decision. Buying groceries in Walmart is considerable less risky that grappling with others playing football.

I just wish we could accept each person's decision to play or not play.

 

[chevss454]

Apologize if I wasn't clear enough. To what you quoted, I was speaking specifically to the opt outs. Next year there will probably be yet another draft class to fill roster spots. The cap will be smaller. I understand that these are good players. If BB thinks as far ahead as people say, I would think he had planned on some of these guys not being there. He had them under contract for this year. There is good and bad to each view on this. I just happen to believe that letting the contracts run is the best way forward. With guaranties and signing bonuses, can a team just cut a high money player? What would be the dead cap hit?

No one will come out and say it but there's talk that BB has prepared for these very events since well before the draft when COVID first hit. They point to his draft of core players and signing of FAs at key core positions as evidence that BB responded to the pandemic while other teams drafted as usual. BB wanted players of the plug and play variety who didn't need a year or 2 of coaching to hone their skills...within reason.

I've also learned that long ago, months, BB asked his players to carefully consider their situations and that he encouraged them to be safe & to opt out sooner rather than later. They opted out with BB's blessing; remember, the opt out had been discussed for months before it was approved. BB saw it coming. The Pats think all their players who will opt out have already done so which leaves BB ample time to revamp his roster where necessary while other clubs' players are still thinking about opting out. I expect a couple of signings in the near future - not Clowney but maybe veterans - a Jernigan or similar and a RT like a Cordy Glenn. As usual, BB was out in front of this mess.

Regarding the tolling, every player's situation is different and surely BB treats them differently. Cannon's situation was easy but take Hightower - new baby in the house, high risk, his contract tolls to 2021, replacement players are on board & available in FA. Tolling his contract saves the Pats cap room for this year when it's desperately needed but it goes beyond that. Tolled contracts roll over to the next year but not all of their cap hits do. Their 2020 signing bonus prorations remain on the 2020 cap as well as their offseason workout bonuses. In Hightower's case his cap hit for this year was to be $12.5M but now his 2021 cap number is only $7.85M per Miguel. So the Pats gain cap space this year AND over $4.5M for next year as well.

In fact, Chung, Bolden, Vitale, and Cannon all are expected to toll & all will have lower cap numbers for 2021 than they did for 2020 for the same reasons. Chess/Checkers.

 

[Roberto71]

I can't see a scenario where experienced and core vets like High, Cannon, Chung and Bolden who are real Belichick players, took the decision to opt out without discussing it thoroughly with BB first and getting his go ahead. There is no way they just made a unilateral decision to just do this and tell their agents to go and tell Bill.

But I can imagine Bill asking them to do it this week with camp starting and get it all out at once. So I'd be surprised at this stage if there were more. I was worried the McCourty's, Gilmore, Jules who has a young kid etc might join them. I think the window to do it was yesterday hence the 6 announcements. I'd be surprised if there were more following at this stage.

Chung spells it out on any alledged BB tanking strategy.

Patrick Chung @PatrickChung23
17m
Whoever said that is dumb

Darius Butler @DariusJButler
No way in hell Belichick tanks this year. Anyone who’s saying that has never been around the guy!

 

[Dwight Schrute]

I hope we’re not subjected to the voice of Chung lingering all season.

Just go be safe.

 

[Hawg73]

I know the story well and I really question it.

I understand those questions and share some of them but it's up to all of us to try to sort it all out as best we can. One important source of info for me is my Sister who is an emergency room nurse of long experience.

She's been saying for months now that she's cared for several people, some in their 20's, that have developed "unusual" heart ailments (along with a few other extremely odd ones) that seem to point (proof being an elusive concept) to a covid cause, i.e., positive tests and other prior symptoms. The little fuckers can settle in the lungs, where it often leaves a unique signature of damage but is not limited to just there. When you almost never see a particular problem and then see 8 of them in a short period of time then the pros know something weird is afoot.

I don't trust the news, but I trust my Sister. I gotta believe this particular issue with ERod could very well be legit.

 

[Roberto71]

I understand those questions and share some of them but it's up to all of us to try to sort it all out as best we can. One important source of info for me is my Sister who is an emergency room nurse of long experience.

She's been saying for months now that she's cared for several people, some in their 20's, that have developed "unusual" heart ailments (along with a few other extremely odd ones) that seem to point (proof being an elusive concept) to a covid cause, i.e., positive tests and other prior symptoms. The little fuckers can settle in the lungs, where it often leaves a unique signature of damage but is not limited to just there. When you almost never see a particular problem and then see 8 of them in a short period of time then the pros know something weird is afoot.

I don't trust the news, but I trust my Sister. I gotta believe this particular issue with ERod could very well be legit.

I'm hearing a lot and reading a lot of similar issues. People who got this disease months ago but are later reporting with significant follow on symptoms including frequent reports of weird neurological related issues like suddenly becoming clumsy, falling over, numbness in the hands, losing taste and smell etc. I listened to Richard Quest who people will know as the energiser bunny-like travel correspondent on CNN, an optimistic bloke if you ever saw one. He got it back in April yet, he said it rips through the body like a tornado, he thought he got better but now finds himself falling over dropping things, forgetting things and has a permanent, what he calls, "covid cough".

There are a lot of reports coming out of Italy of former patients reporting all kinds of lingering symptoms, months and months after contracting it.

it's strange. What seems to be happening is this novel virus seems to trigger a total overreaction in some peoples immune system causing a cytokine storm which then seems to leave a trail of destruction, often in critical organs. The kind of inflammation that can leave permanent scarring on the lungs for example. Some people get the virus and it comes and goes with minimal fuss and others seem to get hit with a mack truck. Every human being has a very unique immune system with a myriad of factors that determine what immune system you develop over time. Things like your gut flora can play a huge role which is an incredibly complicated biosphere.

I would take an uneducated guess and say because this is such a new virus to our species, it has caught many peoples immune systems out badly and has triggered a totally OTT response by the body defenses that end up causing unintended damage. And as you said, sneaks into critical areas like the lungs, undetected as the immune system never saw the virus before.

 

[MEPATNUT]

Will we now be known as the NE Pussies?

Just joking- everyone has to do what's right for their families.

 

[thomas144]

Long-time listener; first-time caller.

The season won't happen. How exactly it comes to an end will be interesting. Not as interesting as watching Brady and Gronk play for Tampa Bay but kind of entertaining nevertheless.

They might try next year, but unless there's a Santa Claus, they will run into the same problems. We may be witnessing the end of football. Just take it one year at a time.

 

[OSUBuckeye]

No one will come out and say it but there's talk that BB has prepared for these very events since well before the draft when COVID first hit. They point to his draft of core players and signing of FAs at key core positions as evidence that BB responded to the pandemic while other teams drafted as usual. BB wanted players of the plug and play variety who didn't need a year or 2 of coaching to hone their skills...within reason.

I've also learned that long ago, months, BB asked his players to carefully consider their situations and that he encouraged them to be safe & to opt out sooner rather than later. They opted out with BB's blessing; remember, the opt out had been discussed for months before it was approved. BB saw it coming. The Pats think all their players who will opt out have already done so which leaves BB ample time to revamp his roster where necessary while other clubs' players are still thinking about opting out. I expect a couple of signings in the near future - not Clowney but maybe veterans - a Jernigan or similar and a RT like a Cordy Glenn. As usual, BB was out in front of this mess.

Regarding the tolling, every player's situation is different and surely BB treats them differently. Cannon's situation was easy but take Hightower - new baby in the house, high risk, his contract tolls to 2021, replacement players are on board & available in FA. Tolling his contract saves the Pats cap room for this year when it's desperately needed but it goes beyond that. Tolled contracts roll over to the next year but not all of their cap hits do. Their 2020 signing bonus prorations remain on the 2020 cap as well as their offseason workout bonuses. In Hightower's case his cap hit for this year was to be $12.5M but now his 2021 cap number is only $7.85M per Miguel. So the Pats gain cap space this year AND over $4.5M for next year as well.

In fact, Chung, Bolden, Vitale, and Cannon all are expected to toll & all will have lower cap numbers for 2021 than they did for 2020 for the same reasons. Chess/Checkers.

BB encouraging players to opt out is all part of the plan. Tank for Trevor

 

[Dwight Schrute]

Long-time listener; first-time caller.

The season won't happen. How exactly it comes to an end will be interesting. Not as interesting as watching Brady and Gronk play for Tampa Bay but kind of entertaining nevertheless.

They might try next year, but unless there's a Santa Claus, they will run into the same problems. We may be witnessing the end of football. Just take it one year at a time.

Well NHL resumes Saturday. March Madness style 4 games per day blitz to start.

If they can pull it off I don’t see why football can’t.

 

[Patriots-Lifer]

Every ailment any player has will be attributed to Covid.

The NFL needs to be ready to weather entire teams getting sick from a PR perspective. It’s happening in the MLB and they aren’t ready. Guys on espn radio are already gleefully calling for them to stop. I hope they play but my gut says it’ll get shut down.

Some guys are Asymtomatic but test positive for weeks. They should be able to play. They need to stick to what they plan though in the face of what will be a very hostile media hoping for a shutdown.

A person who is Asymptomatic is contagions as they do shed the virus to others.
Why would you want them to play?