A pretty good primer on the on-going opt-out program from The Sporting News:

The NFL season opt-out rules are simple. Anybody is free to decide not to play in 2020, and per multiple reports, the contracts for all players who opt out will toll to 2021.

NFL players who opt out for 2020 also will receive salary advances. Those who opt out for medical reasons because they are at high risk regarding COVID-19 will receive $350,000 for the season, and those who opt out voluntarily will receive $150,000 for the season. (Undrafted rookies who opt out voluntarily are not eligible to earn the $150,000 stipend.)

So Duvernay-Tardif, for example, will get the $150,000 salary advance since he opted out voluntarily, and his 2020 contract will toll to 2021. He was scheduled to earn $2.75 million this season, so he’ll earn that (minus the $150,000) next year.

July 28 marked the latest training camp reporting date for all veteran players, and camps this year will feature a longer-than-normal acclimation period before fully padded practices begin Aug. 17. The 2020 NFL preseason was canceled, but the regular season is still scheduled to begin Thursday, Sept. 10 when the Chiefs host the Texans.

NFL players reportedly have until Tuesday, Aug. 6, or seven days after the CBA side letter on the matter is finialized, to decide whether to opt out of the 2020 season and earn the stipends/contract tolling.

A deal has been struck, but has Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com points out it has not been signed.

Five days ago, the NFL and the NFL Players Association struck a deal on a revised Collective Bargaining Agreement, aimed at addressing various issues relevant to pro football in a pandemic. The formal agreement, however, has still not been signed.

So what’s the holdup? As one source with knowledge of the situation told PFT, “Lawyers.”

The good news is that this likely means the attorneys for the two sides are simply haggling over precise language, and that there’s been no buyer’s remorse or other issue that would undo the otherwise done deal.

The better news for players is that the deadline for opting out doesn’t arrive until seven days after the agreement is signed. As of now, it means that the earliest date on which players would face see the clock run out on opting out is Wednesday, August 5.

On Wednesday’s PFT Live, former NFL safety Rodney Harrison — a member of the Patriots Hall of Fame — said that, if he were still playing, he absolutely would skip the season. For every current player, it’s an intensely personal decision that only they can make, in consultation with their families.

– – –

The NFL’s Top 100 as voted by the players, is out.  QB PATRICK MAHOMES is NOT #1.  Ryan Glasspiegel of Outkick.com:

NFL Network has been doing its annual top 100 players in the league list, as voted by the players. The whole construct is tailor made to generate silly conversations. Mike Evans and Keenan Allen got into a little tiff over who is better. Carson Wentz isn’t even on it. DEBATE. And now we find out that Patrick Mahomes ranks third, behind Lamar Jackson, Russell Wilson, and Aaron Donald. A true folly of democracy.

For his part, Mahomes had a succinct response:

(emoji of pencil – i.e. “taking notes”)

Russell Wilson and Lamar Jackson are both very good, but Mahomes is better. I get that Jackson won the regular season MVP and that Wilson has been playing at a high level for longer, but we don’t even need to pull out stats. Mahomes is an absolutely transcendent talent, and now the rest of the league has given him a reason to synthesize a chip on his shoulder. More motivation to whip this trick out in a game, I guess:

Every time the players vote on awards or rankings, they wind up vindicating the judgment of the media.

NFC NORTH

CHICAGO

GM RYAN PACE got QB MITCHELL TRUBISKY wrong, made a mixed trade for EDGE KHALIL MACK, just sent a TE he reached for to Miami for peanuts and overpaid for QB NICK FOLES.  But he remains confident he has the support of ownership.  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:

The Bears have only made the playoffs once in their five seasons with Ryan Pace building the roster, but Pace doesn’t think he’s on the hot seat.

As the Bears head into their sixth training camp with Pace as G.M., he says Bears Chairman George McCaskey and President Ted Phillips are behind him.

“We all have the same goals and the same vision for this season,” Pace said, via 670 The Score. “Last year was disappointing for all of us. That starts with me. That’s hard to swallow. It’s disappointing. There’s a number of factors that went into that. Just being real with ourselves this offseason and making hard decisions, whether it’s the roster or it’s staff or it’s different things we’re doing here at Halas, all those hard decisions, I feel like they’ve been made or continue to be made. We all put our egos aside and what’s best for the team. I feel the full support from George and from Ted.”

When the Bears went 12-4 in Pace’s fourth season in 2018, he appeared to have them going in the right direction. But they slumped to 8-8 last year, and they may need to return to the postseason for Pace to continue having his bosses’ full support.

We kind of did a media thing there in the first paragraph.  Pace does have some accomplishments.

DETROIT

WR KENNY GOLLADAY and TE T.J. HOCKENSON go on the Covid-19 list.  Grant Gordon of NFL.com:

Reigning NFL receiving touchdown leader Kenny Golladay is one of five Detroit Lions players who was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday.

Golladay, 2019 first-round tight end T.J. Hockenson, defensive backs Jalen Elliott and Amani Oruwariye and punter Arryn Siposa were each played on the new reserve/COVID-19 list. Defensive tackle John Atkins was placed on the reserve/opt-out list.

Golladay hauled in 11 touchdown catches last season, becoming the first Detroit player to lead the league in receiving touchdowns outright since Cloyce Box in 1952. In his third season, Golladay added 65 receptions for 1,190 yards en route to his first Pro Bowl bid.

Hockenson was the eighth overall selection of the 2019 NFL Draft and started seven games last year.

Unlike injured reserve, there is no specified return time for the reserve/COVID-19 list as it’s only the minimum time it takes for a player to pass NFL-NFL Players Association testing and treatment protocols, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero added.

GREEN BAY

QB AARON RODGERS seems to have a pretty adult state of mind about the Packers drafting his replacement (and it can be viewed no other way). Eric Edholm of YahooSports.com:

Aaron Rodgers went into more depth on his reaction when the Green Bay Packers drafted Jordan Love in Round 1, and it shed more light on his mindset of the controversial pick.

Plus, it gave us insight on Rodgers’ drink of choice when things get a little weird.

Typically a scotch man, Rodgers told NFL Media’s Kyle Brandt that he was watching the draft closely, perked up when the Packers traded up four picks to No. 26 overall … and then reached for his bottle of tequila when Love was the pick.

“I was like, ‘Oh, wow, OK,’ ” Rodgers told Brandt for the first episode of a future Ringer/Spotify podcast. “I love scotch, but I’ve been drinking some sipping tequila lately as well. And once I got that text [that Love was the pick], I went to the pantry, I poured myself about four fingers [of tequila] and I knew it was going to be one of those nights where people start calling.”

Rodgers said his response to people calling was: “Yeah, I am fine.” He admitted he wasn’t “elated” with the pick, instead hoping for a wide receiver. But with receivers going off the board in three of the previous five picks leading up to where Green Bay landed, that position was drained. No other wideouts went in Round 1.

Rodgers spoke about Love’s arrival with Green Bay media this offseason, but otherwise has stayed out of the spotlight. What he told Brandt about what he expects to unfold over the next few years was fascinating.

Brandt asked Rodgers on the follow-up question to Love for how the two-time MVP expects the situation to play out two years down the road. They’ll either have to move on from Rodgers, Brandt suggested, or just not play their 2020 first-round pick.

Rodgers didn’t hesitate to suggest that Green Bay eventually will replace him as the starter with Love down the road.

“I think probably the former,” Rodgers said. “That’s probably what happens, based on the circumstances around everything.

“Just look at the facts: They traded up. They drafted him. I would say they like him. They want to play him.”

Naturally, on draft day, it was easy for many to immediately make the parallel to Rodgers’ own draft experience, having been taken after the Packers made the playoffs with Brett Favre at QB.

Rodgers said this situation was a “different environment” as a generation ago, rookies often sat for a year or two before they were ready to take over. That’s rare these days, as first-round QBs tend to get their shots to play earlier.

Asked by Brandt — a Chicago Bears fan — how it might feel to perhaps one day wear a Bears uniform, Rodgers punted.

“Oh, man,” Rodgers said, laughing, “that’s a tough thought right there, man.”

Rodgers reached out to Jordan Love the next day

After sipping his tequila and FaceTiming with people who called him the night of the draft, Rodgers said he reached out to Love the next day. He said he wanted Love to know that if there’s anyone who understands the position he’s in, it’s Rodgers.

“I know what he is going through,” Rodgers said. “The last thing you want is any negativity about realizing a childhood dream.

“I just told him, ‘Congrats, man. I understand what you’re going through. It’s super exciting. I’m excited to work with you,’ which I am.”

Rodgers admitted it wasn’t the scenario he envisioned heading into draft weekend, falling one game short of a Super Bowl following a 13-3 regular season. He also said he wanted to make sure that disappointment wasn’t directed at Love himself.

“Was I bummed out? Of course. Who wouldn’t be?” Rodgers said. “I want to play my entire career in Green Bay. I love the city, I grew up there. Really, I got there when I was 21, and I’m 36 now. A lot changes during that time.

“But I get it. I see it completely clearly, and I’m not bitter about it. It kind of is what it is.”

MINNESOTA

The Vikings have some Wuhan Covid-19 issues to deal with, including as documented yesterday, their Covid-19 compliance officer.  Andrew Krammer in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune:

Three more Vikings players, including defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo, were placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Wednesday, the team announced.

Odenigbo, tackle Oli Udoh and linebacker Cameron Smith join four Vikings rookies in quarantine, where players on the COVID list are either recovering from positive tests or part of contact tracing. The NFL has mandated teams do not disclose which player is in which category.

Receiver Justin Jefferson, guard Tyler Higby, tackle Blake Brandel and safety Brian Cole II were placed on reserve/COVID on Monday, a day after rookies were scheduled to take their final entry tests for the coronavirus. Eric Sugarman, the team’s virus czar and top trainer, remains in quarantine after announcing “mild symptoms” over the weekend after he and some family members tested positive.

Cases without symptoms allow players to return as early as five days, only after registering two negative tests. Symptomatic cases require at least 10 days before returning, including three days since the last symptoms.

Here’s a COVID-related FAQ for Vikings training camp

Once placed on the COVID list, players are not allowed to enter the building until passing the testing protocols. They also do not count against the active roster limit, so the Vikings with 79 active players are below the 80-player capacity for team facilities mandated by the league.

Vikings veterans, like Odenigbo, are scheduled to undergo three tests in four days upon reporting for camp this week, before being allowed to use team facilities as early as Saturday. Daily testing for players then continues for at least two weeks.

Entering his fourth NFL season, Odenigbo is projected to be a starter after starring in a reserve role last season. Odenigbo’s ascension comes at an opportune time for the Vikings defense, which does not include defensive end Everson Griffen (free agent).

Udoh, the second-year tackle out of Elon, and Smith, a second-year linebacker from USC, are expected to compete for depth roles.

NFC EAST

NEW YORK GIANTS

Yesterday, we told you that T NATE SOLDER was going to be a good soldier and play for the Giants in 2020 despite reservations.  Today is another day.  Paul Schwartz of the New York Post:

Wellington Mara as the Giants patriarch balanced his franchise on three pillars: Faith. Family. Football.

Nate Solder embodies those tenets and took them to heart when he made what had to be a gut-wrenching yet logical, necessary decision to, as he posted on Twitter, “pause for this season.’’ He has opted out for 2020, and if ever a player needed to opt out, amid real and ever-present concerns about the treacherous tentacles of COVID-19, it is Solder.

Good for him. Football can wait. The health and safety of his growing family cannot.

The Giants as of Tuesday knew this was a possibility. Solder did not indicate to the team he was considering opting out and the expectation was he would report, get tested and join in training camp this week. This hardly blindsided the Giants, though. They know the man and the father and there were some in the organization who wondered all along how Solder could choose to play.

“He is doing what’s best for his family,’’ general manager Dave Gettleman said.

Solder and his wife, Lexi, have endured a four-year battle with their son, Hudson, who at three months old was diagnosed with cancerous tumors in his kidneys. Hudson received treatment in Boston when Solder played for the Patriots and, after he signed with the Giants in 2018, the Solders traveled from New Jersey to Boston on Tuesdays for Hudson’s chemotherapy.

Solder had surgery for testicular cancer in 2014. He and Lexi became parents again this spring, adding another son, Emerson, to their family of five — they also have a daughter, Charlie. Even the most remote chance Solder could go to work and return home with the coronavirus was not a chance he was willing to take.

“With fear and trembling, we struggle to keep our priorities in order and, for us, our children’s health and the health of our neighbors comes before football,’’ Solder wrote.

As the Giants player representative to the NFL Players Association, Solder was well-versed in the safety protocol negotiations between the union and the league — unprecedented negotiations amid a pandemic. Back on July 10, Solder tweeted, “If the NFL doesn’t do their part to keep players healthy there is no football in 2020. It’s that simple.’’

There might be football in 2020, but it will not include Solder. He started every game the past two seasons at left tackle after signing what at the time was the richest contract ever (four years, $62 million) for an offensive lineman. He did not come close to living up to that money with his play on the field. The Giants took Andrew Thomas with the No. 4 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft to eventually replace Solder. “Eventually’’ now becomes “immediately,’’ depending on where the Giants deploy veteran Cam Fleming, a “swing’’ offensive tackle who now probably swings directly into the starting lineup, unless all the salary-cap space suddenly at the Giants’ disposal can buy another option.

Solder is a huge, towering man with huge, towering faith. The respect for him in the locker room and front office is immense. Joe Judge, the new head coach, told The Post this offseason, “I believe in Nate Solder. I’m happy Nate Solder is here. I’m very excited to have Nate on the team.’’

He will not be on the team, and if anyone inside (highly doubtful) or outside the organization harbors any negative sentiment regarding this decision, shame on them. Solder was scheduled to make $9.9 million this season and now will collect only the $350,000 stipend the NFL is allowing for high-risk players who opt out.

 “We fully recognize that being able to make a decision like this is a privilege,’’ Solder wrote. Indeed, not everyone can opt out of their job with no repercussions, other than financial.

Maybe Solder comes back in 2021 — he now is under contract for two more years, instead of one. Perhaps this is it for him. What this coronavirus should have taught all of us is the foolhardiness of making rigid plans and trying to anticipate what happens next.

“As scary and bleak as it sometimes can be, we know that the God of the universe has all things under His control,’’ Solder wrote, “and His plans are and will always be for our good.”

NFC SOUTH

NEW ORLEANS

QB DREW BREES is going to adjust his behavior in 2020, but not to the point of opting out.  Charles Robinson of YahooSports.com:

Eventually, an NFL quarterback was going to be forced to think about it. And when one confronted the inescapable reality, the door would open for others to follow. On Wednesday, future Hall of Famer Drew Brees officially breached that threshold, admitting that an incessant (and questionably gross) habit will need to be ditched during the COVID-19 era.

Licking fingers during an NFL game.

Brees and other quarterbacks have engaged in the act thousands of times before a snap, using their tongue to wet the fingers of their throwing hand, thereby giving themselves additional grip on a football. The very same object that is touched, sweated upon, spit upon and, in rare occasions, even bled upon during the course of play.

There have occasionally been debates about how disgusting the habit really is, given the fact that it’s basically akin to putting your tongue on a football during the course of a game. Never mind that quarterbacks are also spending their sweaty Sundays high-fiving teammates, slapping them on the rear end (see most of Brett Favre’s career) or regularly tucking their hands into the nether regions of an offensive lineman to take a snap.

To be fair, that latter hand placement has been mitigated by the rise in shotgun formations over the years, but when you see an offensive lineman with a towel tucked in his pants, it’s usually because the quarterback has complained about sliding his hands into a case of swamp butt.

Breathe that all in and then once again consider that NFL quarterbacks often lick their fingers in a game.

Once you’re adequately nauseous, take comfort in one of the few benefits of a pandemic: Rethinking some of the habits that probably aren’t all that sanitary. Which Brees apparently is … and other quarterbacks are likely to follow.

“The whole point is to help give your hands a little tackiness so you get better grip on the ball,” Brees told ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski in a fantastically detailed report about how COVID-19 will impact the hygienic aspects of sports in the coming days. “I’ve actually been thinking about it a lot lately as I’ve started throwing again. Trying to avoid it, but it has been so habitual for so long. You don’t realize how much you touch your face and lick your fingers until COVID hit.”

To which Ryan Harris, a former journeyman offensive lineman in the NFL added in the piece, “It’s so gross, even when there isn’t COVID. And just look where he puts his hands the play before, the play after and the play he’s running when he licks his fingers. Do the math. Honestly, there are a lot of everyday, don’t-give-it-a-second-thought things people are going to have to give a second thought about.”

Just so we can eliminate any ambiguity, when Harris says, “just look where he puts his hands the play before,” he’s referring to quarterbacks who operate under center pressing their digits directly against the damp underside of some sensitive anatomical parts of their offensive center. Having played the position myself during the course of my high school career, I can promise you that it’s pretty much every bit as bad as it looks.

So much so that over the years, NFL quarterbacks have occasionally taken to relating their displeasure with what they often refer to “swamp ass,” which is the penchant of a center to sweat … well … below deck.

Tom Brady has long been known to be a serial complainer about swamp ass — to the point that he has been known to require towels shoved down the pants of his centers, or copious amounts of baby powder to be employed. Brady isn’t alone, either. Others have complained as well. But in 2020, it’s less of a laughing matter, as other leagues have tried to limit fluid contact between players during the course of games.

In that effort, Major League Baseball and the NBA have instituted regulations that prohibit the licking of hands between plays. An NFL league office source and an additional source from the union said NFL regulations haven’t gone that far (yet), leaving players to create thresholds of their own.

However, on the team level, there will be some changes. One NFC executive told Yahoo Sports that smelling salts — that have often been employed during games in the past — are now prohibited on the sidelines during games. So, too, has the sharing of water bottles between plays, eliminating the age-old sight of seeing managers spritz down or hydrate players en masse during timeouts.

TAMPA BAY

Although he’s never done it before a pro, QB TOM BRADY has had no problem adjusting to a new playbook and new teammates.  Chris Mason of MassLive.com:

With too many Super Bowl rings for one hand, Bruce Arians was expecting a lot of Tom Brady.

Thus far, the long time Patriots quarterback is exceeding those lofty exceptions in Tampa Bay.

“He’s way ahead of the curve,” Arians told reporters on a Zoom call Tuesday. “He’s a very bright guy — the terminology was the big thing. As we now get together starting tomorrow, we’ll start to collaborate a little bit more. So yeah, I think he’s in a great spot right now as far as that goes.”

Though the NFLPA urged its players to stop holding informal workouts due to COVID-19 risks, Brady continued throwing to Buccaneers receivers in July. Apparently he made a strong impression on his new teammates during those sessions.

“All of the guys that have been working out with him see his intensity level at even those type of workouts and they only know they’re going to intensify when we get out there for real,” Arians said. “It’s been great. You would’ve hoped we would’ve had spring practice so all of them could get over the awe — especially the young players — with Tom Brady walking into the locker room, and (Rob Gronkowski). We’ll get through that I think in maybe a week — each guy will have enough (confidence) to go talk to him.”

AFC WEST

KANSAS CITY

RB DAMIEN WILLIAMS opts out from/bails on the Chiefs title defense.

The Kansas City Chiefs tried as hard as they could to bring back their entire Super Bowl-winning team, but they’ll be without a key contributor in 2020.

Running back Damien Williams, who some argued should have been Super Bowl LIV MVP due to 133 total yards and a pair of touchdowns, has opted out of the 2020 season due to coronavirus concerns.

Fortunately for the Chiefs, they have a replacement: first-round draft pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire.

Kansas City drafted Edwards-Helaire with the last pick of the first round. He was an explosive playmaker at LSU and the Chiefs obviously liked him, since they made Edwards-Helaire the first running back selected in the draft.

Williams was going to cut into Edwards-Helaire’s playing time. Williams is a reliable veteran and a favorite of Andy Reid and his coaching staff. After his big performance in the Super Bowl he wasn’t going to be dumped on the bench, not to mention any questions the staff would have about a rookie back in pass protection without a normal offseason and no preseason games.

With Williams out for the 2020 season, Edwards-Helaire doesn’t have much of an obstacle to a full-time role.

Williams had a injury-filled 2019 regular season, then was huge in the playoffs. He had 290 yards from scrimmage in three games and six touchdowns. No matter what happens next, Chiefs fans will be fond of him for what happened in their Super Bowl run.

Williams, like other key players who have opted out, didn’t want to risk his health by playing. He is passing on a $1.85 million salary this year.

The deadline for players to opt out is Aug. 3, and there will be a domino effect for many teams as players decide against participating in this season. There already is a pretty big effect in Kansas City.

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

In this abnormal year, Chargers coach Anthony Lynn says it will be tough for rookie QB JUSTIN HERBERT to start on Day 1 (whenever that might be):

In a normal year, the Chargers would have gotten three months of offseason work with first-round draft choice Justin Herbert. As everyone knows, 2020 has turned into anything but a normal year.

So Chargers coach Anthony Lynn conceded the obvious: Herbert “can’t make up the physical reps” he missed due to the restricted offseason.

Veteran Tyrod Taylor will have a big advantage going into training camp.

“He’ll probably be our Day 1 starter,” Lynn said Wednesday, via Jason Hirschhorn of SI.com.

The Chargers, who saw longtime starter Philip Rivers leave this offseason, drafted Herbert with the sixth overall choice as Rivers’ replacement.

Herbert threw for 3,471 yards with 32 touchdowns and six interceptions in his senior season for the Ducks, and Lynn emphasized Herbert’s college experience.

Taylor will be the “perfect guy” for Herbert to learn from, Lynn said, as will quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton.

“Pep Hamilton is doing a hell of a job with him right now,” Lynn said.

The Chargers drafted Herbert as their quarterback of the future. The future will wait until at least after Day 1.

AFC NORTH

BALTIMORE

QB LAMAR JACKSON is quick to explain he wants Antonio Brown to complement his cousin, WR MARQUISE BROWN, not replace him.

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is still harboring hopes of playing with Antonio Brown this season, but he will have a member of Brown’s family on hand whether Baltimore signs the free agent or not.

Marquise Brown is Antonio Brown’s cousin and the 2019 first-round pick spent time working out with the quarterback in Florida during the offseason. That gave Jackson insight into how Brown is progressing after dealing with a Lisfranc injury throughout last season.

Like others around the team and Brown himself, Jackson believes that return to health will pay off with big things for the wideout.

“I feel like he’s going to have a huge jump, more than people may think,” Jackson said, via the team’s website. “He was hurt last year, people didn’t know that, but he went out there and battled his tail off each and every game on a messed up foot. Now his full potential is going to show this year I feel. He’s still young, but he’s going to show off. My job is to get the ball out quicker, because he’s a lot faster with that foot 100 percent.”

Jackson also worked out with draft picks James Proche and Devin Duvernay this spring and thinks both players can have a positive impact on the offense. That may be the case, but a breakout year for Brown would provide a little more time for both of them to adapt to life in the NFL.

PITTSBURGH

QB BEN ROETHLISBERGER is back, rarin’ to go, says Coach Mike Tomlin. Veteran scribe Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin still hasn’t seen Ben Roethlisberger throw in person, but based on discussions with his quarterback and everything he has been told, he expects Roethlisberger to be a “full participant” when the players finally get on the practice field for training camp.

Roethlisberger had planned to get on the field and throw Wednesday at Heinz Field, but Tomlin said the team decided against it. That, though, has nothing to do with what the Steelers expect when the 16-year veteran quarterback and his teammates have their first padded practice Aug. 17.

“He’s been throwing, and that throwing has been going well,” Tomlin said Thursday in a Zoom call with Pittsburgh-area media members. “We don’t have any reservations about him being a full participant in this process.”

Tomlin said it’s important that every player in training camp understands the importance of adhering to the protocols put in place by the NFL because of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially the 25 to 30 players who won’t be on the roster when the regular season is scheduled to begin Sept. 14.

Tomlin said players who don’t adhere to the policies will be considered to have performed “conduct detrimental” to the team.

“In this COVID-19 environment, if you’re not using discretion and being thoughtful how you move, that conduct is detrimental to your cause and ours,” Tomlin said. “We have to conduct ourselves accordingly. It’s been a lot of work to position ourselves where we are right now. It’s one fail, all fail, in this environment, so we’ll continue to package our message in that way. It’s conduct detrimental to their efforts and ours.”

– – –

Kneeling for the Anthem will not be unanimous for the NFL’s Black players.  DL STEPHON TUITT with what is now a controversial stand (literally).  Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com:

Several NFL players and one coach have committed to kneeling during the national anthem this season. Many others likely will.

But Steelers defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt won’t be among them.

Tuitt said Monday that he will not kneel during the national anthem.

“Also I’m not kneeling for the flag and screw anybody who have a problem with that,” Tuitt wrote on Twitter. “My grandmother was a immigrant from the Carribean and . . . worked her ass off to bring 20 people over the right way. She had no money and educated herself to be a nurse. She living good now.”

Steelers players who choose to kneel for the national anthem will have the support of Mike Tomlin and the organization, the coach said last month.

“Our position is simple: We’re going to support our players and their willingness to participate in this, whether it’s statements or actions,” Tomlin said.

In six games last year, Tuitt finished with 22 tackles and 3.5 sacks. He missed the final 10 games of the season after tearing his pectoral.

AFC SOUTH

TENNESSEE

EDGE VIC BEASLEY is a no-show, leading to fears that the coveted free agent signee is going to opt out.  Kevin Patra of NFL.com:

The Tennessee Titans still haven’t heard from Vic Beasley.

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday that the veteran pass rusher did not show up for COVID-19 testing again Wednesday. There has been no communication with the team on why he’s missed testing or where he is, per sources informed of the situation.

The Titans placed Beasley on the reserve/did not report list on Tuesday after he skipped the first day of testing for veteran players.

Tennessee signed Beasley this offseason to add oomph to their pass rush, hoping the one-year prove-it deal would bring the best out of the former first-round pick.

Thus far, Tennessee hasn’t heard from Beasley on whether he will opt out of the 2020 season or why he hasn’t reported for testing with the rest of his new teammates.

AFC EAST

NEW YORK JETS

Jets acting owner Christopher Johnson was quick to distance himself from his brother when diplomatic leaks undiplomatically labeled his brother Woody, a Trumpist, as a “racist” and “misogynist.”  Chris Ryan of NJ Advance Media:

New York Jets coach Adam Gase said acting owner Christopher Johnson has called every player on the team after the team’s principal owner, Woody Johnson, was accused of making racist and sexist comments while serving as an American ambassador in the United Kingdom.

Christopher Johnson has been the Jets’ acting owner since 2017, when Woody Johnson took on the ambassador position.

“He’s gone through almost our entire roster as far as contacting these guys himself and spending time on the phone with these guys,” Gase said. “Whether it be FaceTime or a phone call, he’s trying to talk to every guy on our roster. Working for a guy that is single-handedly calling every single player on our roster, and he’s been doing that for the past two weeks, I’ve been very impressed with how he’s gone about this.”

According to a CNN report last week, Woody Johnson was investigated for allegedly making racist and sexist remarks in his ambassador role. Woody Johnson has vehemently denied the accusations.

After the report surfaced, Christopher Johnson also reached out to Gase and Jets GM Joe Douglas.

“Christopher called me the day all that came out,” Gase said. “Knowing Christopher and spending the amount of time that I have with him, I believe exactly what he says and I think Christopher has done a great job.”

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Douglas echoed the same sentiments when he opened his media availability on Monday with comments on the accusations against Woody Johnson.

“I want to be clear what the New York Jets believe in, and that’s every person deserves to be judged by the content of their character,” Douglas said. “And there’s no room here for people who think otherwise specifically regarding the allegations against Woody Johnson. Christopher called me and told me his brother would never make comments like that of any sort. Knowing Christopher the way I’ve gotten to know him over the last year, I certainly take his word on this.”

THIS AND THAT

COPING WITH CORONA

Those who follow Clay Travis believe the media, in general, is rooting for sports to lose its battle with Covid.  Those who follow Darren Rovell of ESPN.com are mixed.  Here is the take of Travis:

On Monday news broke that several members of the Miami Marlins had tested positive for the coronavirus. The reaction on Twitter among sports media was swift: the general consensus immediately became that it was virtually impossible for the NFL or college football to play this fall and that Major League Baseball should consider either stopping the season or canceling it altogether.

It was yet another moment where it seemed to me the sports media rushed to share bad news on coronavirus testing, while typically avoiding all good news. Indeed, Major League Baseball would announce later that same day that the Marlins were the only team that had any players testing positive since the season began and that 99.6% of all tests, numbering over 6400, had been negative.

Bad news about the coronavirus in sports seems to spread like wild fire and trend for hours, good news seems to mostly disappear.

That sports media reaction I saw led me to post a poll on Twitter that was pretty straightforward: “Based on their Twitter feeds do you believe many members of the sports media are rooting against sports coming back?”

People voted for a full day and ultimately over 56,000 of you voted, with 77% of you saying that the sports media appeared to be rooting against the return of sports.

Now, no one individual poll of any one person’s audience is 100% accurate. So I acknowledged this fact and said I’d be interested to see if another member of the sports media ran the same poll what the results would be for their audience.

To his credit, Darren Rovell posted the exact same question for his Twitter followers yesterday and they had 24 hours to vote as well.

His results: 48% believed the sports media was rooting against sports returning.

So between the two of us we had just shy of 90k social media voters answering a question on Twitter about their perceptions of Tweets and over 66% of our combined audiences felt that sports media members were rooting against the return of sports.

That’s a pretty fascinating result and a pretty substantial margin of our two audiences, again nearly 90k people voted, who believe that sports media members are rooting against the return of sports. That’s especially jarring when you consider that Twitter itself leans left pretty massively. So the sports fans on Twitter are probably more likely to agree with the sports media than the general public at large.

So how does a result like this happen?

Well, the first and most fundamental reason is because I believe there’s a very big gap between what members of the sports media, who tend to be clustered on the left wing, believe and what their sports fan audiences, who tend to be more moderate and conservative, believe. That is, the sports media and the people who consume their content see the world very differently.

Social media has exposed the disconnect between the sports media members, for instance, who sit in the press box in college football games — and tend to overwhelmingly vote Democratic — and the people who sit in the seats in college football and tend to overwhelmingly vote Republican. When sports just stuck to sports these differences were less noticeable — after all most people, regardless of politics, thankfully, can still watch a game and not see two different things happening on the field — but now that sports have effectively turned into politics the difference is becoming more stark.

That’s especially the case when everyone opines all day long on social media on a variety of different topics.

The next question that’s interesting about these results is: why would sports audiences have the impression that sports media members aren’t rooting for sports to come back? Most sports media members would argue they want sports back and the audience is mistaken in the way they take the Tweets. Those same sports media members might also say that everyone in my audience is parroting the view that I’ve shared — I have said that sports media Tweets make it appear sports media members don’t want sports back — but I don’t believe that.

Darren Rovell and I have quite a bit different audiences — and I intentionally didn’t share his poll with my audience so the results didn’t change by my followers flooding his poll. Yet nearly half of Rovell’s had the same opinion as the substantial majority of mine.

I don’t think most people follow me — or Rovell — and then become convinced that our opinions are correct or incorrect, I think most people follow me because they’re interested to see what my opinions are. And I think that’s why most people are followed on Twitter in general.

I mean, go look at the comments beneath my opinions, they almost immediately turn into a battle royale between people who agree or disagree with what I’m posting.

So, yes, on its face it seems insane for sports media members to be sharing stories that make it less likely that sports will return because that’s against their economic self interest, but that’s a bit of a misnomer because a huge percentage of the population votes against their economic self interest in every election.

Rich Hollywood liberals, in theory, should never vote for Democratic politics because in doing so they are voting to give much more of their money in taxes. And very poor Southern conservatives should never vote for Republicans because in theory they are voting against their economic self interests as well.

But we all know both of these things happen all the time.

Given a conflict between economic self interest and social issues, many people choose to vote for their social issues over their pocketbook concerns.

And I think that’s what’s going on with the sports media on Twitter. This explains one of my hypotheses for why so many sports media seem to overshare negative coronavirus stories about the return of sports: most members of the sports media hate President Trump more than like sports. So the negativity of their opinions of Trump overwhelm the positive opinions they have for sports returning. Forced to pick between the two, they pick politics over their own economic interests.

Put another way, if you asked the average member of the sports media to make this choice: sports return, but Donald Trump is reelected or no sports return, but Donald Trump is defeated, I think most sports media would choose to cancel sports if it meant canceling Trump. In doing so, they would be valuing their social beliefs over their economic self interests, which we see happen all the time.

That’s my first attempted hypothesis that explains this behavior.

Okay, maybe some of you buy this as a factor, but what if you don’t?

My second hypothesis is sports media members are pretty far left wing — this is not debatable — and the farther left wing you are the more afraid you are of the coronavirus. If you’re more afraid of the virus than the average sports fan then your Tweets about the virus would appear to the majority of sports fans to be so fearful that it appears you’re rooting against sports returning.

Again, I think there’s probably some validity for this take.

My third hypothesis would be that sports media members spend too much time in their mentions and they have decided they have to prove people who disagree with them wrong. That is, if a sports media member shares a negative story about the coronavirus and their mentions ask why they are doing so, this actually makes them more likely to share negative stories in the future to try and prove the people in their mentions wrong. This is one of the real flaws, I believe, of social media. Many “conflicts” on social media don’t lead to a change in opinion, they lead to a hardening of opinion, no matter what the evidence otherwise might suggest.

This is why, in general, reading comments or mentions is a huge waste of time. Years and years ago I decided to never read the comments on any article I wrote online. Why do that? I just spent a lot of time to give you my opinion in a column, why should I care what you think about my opinion? I’m not trying to sound arrogant, it’s just eventually you end up pretty far down the rabbit hole if you worry what other people think about your own opinions. Because if I respond to your opinion of my opinion then where does this end? Eventually we’re just going around and around in circles.

It’s better to use Twitter as a megaphone, not a conversation device. A couple of years ago I made the decision to primarily use the favorite button to give props to statements I think are smart or funny when I duck into the mentions for a few minutes, but for most of the day I’m not going to read what people are saying to me.

Why?

For the same reason I don’t walk up to strangers on the street and ask them what they think of me. I don’t really care. And even if I did care, how pathetic would that be to constantly be seeking the affirmation of strangers all day long? Agree or disagree with me, that’s your right.

But I really don’t care.

Having said that, I’m not like most people. Most people really, desperately, care what you are saying about them online. Which is why social media is designed the way it is; our phones are needles and social media is the drug we inject into our veins.

Fourth hypothesis? I think there’s an element of the sports media that is insecure they’ve grown up and covered sports for a living. Compared to other journalists covering important stories in the world, being 55 years old and writing about your 9,743rd Mets baseball game, can feel like a bit of a waste. That is, the older you get the less you care about the games themselves, the more jaded you become. This story is an opportunity for sports media members to prove to the “real journalists” that they to are real journalists. Social media is mostly negative and so the sports media, covering a real story for one of the first times, is adopting the same negative posture as the real media so they don’t get accused of cheerleading. Sharing negative stories is the price to be able to sit at the big kid’s table in the cafeteria.

Of course the reality is it’s probably some of all four of these hypotheses.

And it’s also possible other people’s audiences may lead to a different result. I’d be curious to see other sports media members ask the same question that Darren Rovell and I did.

But for right now, two-thirds of sports fans on Twitter believe the sports media is rooting against sports coming back.

And that’s insanely jarring.

– – –

We would think there are plenty of empty hotels that MLB teams could sequester themselves in – but their traveling secretaries don’t seem to have adjusted.  A Tweet from Marly Rivera:

I’ve spoken to several MLB managers in both Leagues, and one thing they’re really concerned about has been team hotels being full of people. Two managers told me about weddings being celebrated at the team hotel, which were really crowded and no social distancing was practiced.

Annnd, the Marlins left some virii/viruses floating around Citizens Bank Park as a going away present:

The Philadelphia Phillies have canceled all activities at Citizen Bank Park after a member of the coaching staff and a member of the home clubhouse staff tested positive for COVID-19, the team announced Thursday.

The team said no players have tested positive.

The new positive tests Thursday come after an attendant for the visiting clubhouse tested positive following a weekend series against the Miami Marlins, who have had 19 positive tests in the past seven days, sources confirmed.

FORMER PLAYERS

A California jury has convicted former 49ers DE Dana Stubblefield of a repugnant crime:

Former NFL All-Pro Dana Stubblefield has been convicted of raping a developmentally disabled woman.

A jury in Santa Clara, California found Stubblefield guilty on Monday of rape by force, oral copulation by force and false imprisonment. The jury determined he used a gun in the act.

He was found not guilty on a third charge of rape of a person incapable of giving consent.

Stubblefield faces 15 years to life in prison after the conviction.

“This was a triumph of resilience,” Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen wrote in a statement. “The victim has struggled her whole life with learning disabilities and challenges to be self-sufficient. If we are not fighting for her, then who are we fighting for?”

Woman showed up for a babysitting interview

Prosecutors argued that Stubblefield lured the 31-year-old woman to his California home in 2015 through a babysitting website. She went to his home under the presumption of a job interview.

According to prosecutors, the woman left after a 20-minute interview, but returned when Stubblefield texted her with the promise to pay her for her mileage and her time. That’s when prosecutors say Stubblefield raped her. The woman reported the crime to police after the attack, and DNA evidence was collected.

Defense argued consent, money grab

Stubblefield’s attorney Ken Rosenfeld argued in 2016 that the sex was consensual and that the rape accusation amounted to a money grab.

“She then texted him on more than 20 occasions asking him for money,” Rosenfeld said in 2016. “We’re going to prove all of this.”

The jury was not convinced by the defense’s case and reached Monday’s verdict following a nine-month trial.

Stubblefield was married with two young children at the time of the assault. His wife filed for divorce and custody shortly after he was charged.

Stubblefield played 11 seasons in the NFL, winning a Super Bowl and earning three Pro Bowl nods with the San Francisco 49ers after they selected him in the first round of the 1993 NFL draft. The defensive tackle also won Defensive Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and was named All-Pro once during his seven seasons with the 49ers.

Stubblefield also played with Washington and the Oakland Raiders.

A nine-month trial!

For comparison, the O.J. Simpson trial went 11 months.