Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson and others rip NFL over lack of clarity ahead of season

With the league yet to finalise the NFL player safety protocol ahead of the coronavirus-marred 2020 season, players took to social media to call out the league and commissioner Roger Goodell over the lack of clarity ahead of the season. The likes of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, New Orleans Saints' Drew Brees and Seattle Seahawks' Russell Wilson led NFL players' unified message, expressing their concerns and anger over the lack of COVID-19 safety protocols.

The NFL confirmed its training camp schedule despite not having finalised the safety protocols. Rookies will be required to report at team training facilities by July 21 while the rest of the roster should be back at the camp latest by July 28. Per reports, it was Miami Dolphins cornerback Byron Jones' idea to tweet out messages to the league in order to publicly declare their willingness to play but not until the league confirms the safety protocols.

Also Read | NFL Player Safety Protocol? NFL Tells Teams Training Camps Will Open On Time

Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson, Drew Brees showcase unified front while calling out the NFL

Patrick Mahomes tweeted out the hashtag '#WeWantToPlay,' while stating he hopes the league comes to an agreement over the protocols by the time the players report to the training camps.

Meanwhile, Drew Brees suggested there is a real possibility of having no NFL in 2020, with the league constantly delaying upon an agreement.

Quarterback Russell Wilson's main concern centred around the safety of his wife, Ciara's pregnancy. 

Also Read | NFLPA Wants Players Tested Daily For Virus When Camps Open

Houston Texans' DE JJ Watt highlighted a number of issues that need to be addressed in order to safely flag off the 2020 season. The frequency of player testing and the plan of action if a player tests positive for COVID-19, were some of the issues mentioned in Watt's tweet. 

Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas drew comparisons between NBA commissioner Adam Silver and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Silver was widely praised by experts for his quick thinking when he suspended the season after its first positive test. Silver and the NBA owners were also quick to agree upon the health and safety protocols. 

Also Read | NFL 2020 Season Schedule Change To Delay Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Debut

Several other NFL players joined the "We Want To Play' campaign on social media:

Last week, the NFL Players' Association (NFLPA) executive committee reportedly held a conference call with close to 50 of the league's high-profile players in order to address where things stand ahead of the start of the training camps. According to ESPN, the NFLPA failed to answer the simplest of questions during the conference call. This could have spurred the players to take matters in their own hand.

Also Read | Patrick Mahomes Appeared In BLM Video While Signing Contract, Says It's 'not About Money'

(Image Credits: NFL players' official Twitter handles, AP)