Devin McCourty: NFL’s Opt-out Flip-flop ‘A Joke’

The NFL appears to be reneging on the deadline for players to opt out of the 2020 season, much to the chagrin of Devin McCourty.

The New England Patriots captain and his brother, Jason, have been outspoken critics of the NFL recently.

Safety Devin McCourty along with his brother have highlighted the uncertainty over playing a full football season. Both brothers have articulated a prevailing sense of anxiety that other players hadn’t.

That is, until the league and NFLPA on July 24 agreed a Covid-19 opt-out clause for players who have concerns. Since then, over 40 players have opted out of the season.

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The total figure includes eight of McCourty’s New England Patriots teammates. The exodus clearly has the league worried, as reports suggest they are moving the deadline from August 9 to either this Tuesday or Wednesday. 

“I think it’s an absolute joke that the NFL is changing the opt-out period, mainly because they don’t want to see guys continue to opt out,” Devin McCourty said. 

“I’m sure they’re shocked about how many guys have opted out, but it’s the same thing as, when we sign the CBA sometimes, some of the things we think are good sometimes backfire. We have rookies who are locked in long-term contracts and tagged and tagged. You guys don’t think we would love to change that? But we can’t. That’s the point of signing an agreement.”

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The first player to opt out was, fittingly, the Chiefs’ Laurent Duvernay Tardif, who is also a qualified doctor. He paved the way for others to follow, but the NFL is putting up a roadblock.

“I think it’s terrible. I think it’s B.S. that the league has changed that date, because Monday will be our first day in the building, so to try to make that decision about something other than virtual meetings is a joke.”