Jonathan Jones, #31, New England Patriots, (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
Patriots defensive back Jonathan Jones clearly has concerns ahead of NFL camps arriving.
With NFL training camps getting ready to open up soon and the regular season (knock on wood) slated to start in early September, fans across the country are getting fired up to see their favorite teams in action. However, we can’t just pretend the coronavirus pandemic will go away by then.
The USA as a whole continues to be rocked by the virus, which has resulted in the NFL taking measures to ensure everyone’s safety once camp does arrive. However, New England Patriots defensive back Jonathan Jones didn’t hesitate in voicing his concerns on Twitter this week. It goes without saying, but plenty of players are also in his corner on this one.
NFL players have been unhappy with some of the league’s decisions on safety amid the pandemic
As you can see in his tweet, Jones didn’t mince words. Football is a contact sport. There’s simply no way you can practice social distancing on the gridiron. Players are going to be on top of one another for 60 minutes of action. There’s just no way around it.
The NFL announced recently that players will no longer be able to exchange jerseys after games, issuing a ban on such a move to promote social distancing and player safety. This was quickly ripped to shreds by players on social media.
While the NFL might have strong intentions, what will this do exactly? Is the league just going to act like four quarters of everyone being in each other’s faces isn’t happening? It’s just silly, with players blasting the league for its decision. This includes star San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman, who clearly wasn’t pleased when he found out the news.
There’s going to be plenty more tough decisions to be made by the NFL leading up to Week 1. As things stand, it’s clear they have plenty of work to do to make the players happy.