Special times require special measures. True to this motto, the NFL allows its players this season to independently decide whether they want to participate in the game in the middle of the Corona pandemic or not. Now it is finally clear who will make use of this right and his team will be missing in the coming season.
The New England Patriots are particularly affected, of whom eight players will be without the season. The loss of middle linebacker Dont’a Hightower, three-time pro bowler and potential leader of a young linebacking corps should cause Bill Belichick to be worried about sport.
Renowned celebrities like Dont’a Hightower or CJ Mosley
CJ Mosley, Eddie Goldman and Nate Solder are also prominent names that will not be available to their teams in 2020 for personal reasons. In 2014 testicular cancer was diagnosed and treated at Solder, and today his five-year-old son Hudson is battling a kidney tumor. Hudson and his sister Charlie only welcomed another sibling with little John to the Solder family this spring.
Solder will be paid $ 350,000 for the canceled season because he has very clear medical reasons for his cancellation. Players who forego the season without a “valid reason” (health risk to themselves or nearby people) and thus voluntarily forego the season will still receive $ 150,000 for the year (as an advance on their 2020 salary). A roster bonus is paid out, the rest of the contract is “frozen” for one season.
Chiefs-Guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif is right at the front
The first professional to step down from the upcoming season was Kansas City Chiefs’ Laurent Duvernay-Tardif in late July. The 29-year-old Right Guard, who did not miss a snap in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory in February, completed a medical degree at McGill University in 2018, which he had pursued alongside his football career.
In the past few months, he has worked as a selfless temporary worker in a hospital in his Canadian home town of Quebec, taking care of corona patients, among other things. With that in mind, he recently said, “I can’t afford to spread this virus to society just because I want to do a sport that I love.”
Here is the complete list of all players who are missing the 2020 NFL season due to COVID-19:
Arizona Cardinals
OT Marcus Gilbert
Atlanta Falcons
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Baltimore Ravens
WR De‘Anthony Thomas, OT Andre Smith
Buffalo Bills
DT Star Lotulelei, CB E.J. Gaines
Carolina Panthers
LB Jordan Mack, LB Christian Miller
Chicago Bears
DT Eddie Goldman, S Jordan Lucas
Cincinnati Bengals
DT Josh Tupou, OT Isaiah Prince
Cleveland Browns
AND Drew Forbes, OT Drake Dorbeck, AND Colby Gossett, DT Andrew Billings, AND Malcolm Pridgeon
Dallas Cowboys
CB Maurice Canady, WR Steven Guidry, FB Jamize Olawale
Denver Broncos
DT Kyle Peko, OT Ja’Wuan James
Detroit Lions
DT John Atkins, WR Geronimo Allison, C Russell Bodine
Green Bay Packers
WR Devin Funchess
Houston Texans
DT Eddie Vanderdoes
Indianapolis Colts
S Ron Milligan, LB Skai Moore, CB Marvell Tell
Jacksonville Jaguars
DT Al Woods, DE Lerentee McCray, CB Rashaan Melvin
Kansas City Chiefs
OL Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, RB Damien Williams, OT Lucas Niang
Las Vegas Raiders
LB Ukeme Eligwe, DB DJ Killings, DE Jeremiah Valoaga
Los Angeles Chargers
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Los Angeles Rams
OG Chandler Brewer
Miami Dolphins
WR Allen Hurns, WR Albert Wilson
Minnesota Vikings
DT Michael Pierce
New England Patriots
LB Dont‘a Hightower, S Patrick Chung, OT Marcus Cannon, RB Brandon Bolden, FB Danny Vitale, OL Najee Toran, WR Marquise Lee, TE Matt LaCosse
New Orleans Saints
TE Jason Vander Laan, TE Cole Wick
New York Giants
OT Nate Solder, WR Da‘Mari Scott, CB Sam Beal
New York Jets
LB CJ Mosley, C Leo Koloamatangi
Philadelphia Eagles
WR Marquise Goodwin
Pittsburgh Steelers
–
San Francisco 49ers
WR Travis Benjamin
Seattle Seahawks
OG Chance Warmack
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
OT Brad Seaton
Tennessee Titans
OT Anthony McKinney
Washington Football Team
DE Caleb Brantley, LB Josh Harvey-Clemons
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