The NFL season is currently taking place amid COVID-19, resulting in the postponement of two games in the first four weeks. Former tight end Vernon Davis is currently competing on Dancing With the Stars instead of the NFL, but he made his opinion clear about suiting up in a pandemic. He said that he would have opted out of the season if he wasn’t retired.
TMZ Sports caught up with Davis outside of the Dancing With the Stars studio and asked him about the league and the number of positive tests on the Tennessee Titans and around the league. The reporter asked the former NFL tight end if he would be concerned about his own health and safety and those around him. Davis confirmed that he would certainly have concerns about his loved ones.
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“I would totally be concerned because I worry about my family and those who can be affected by it,” Davis told TMZ. He also faced questions about whether he would have suited up for the Washington Football Team or another franchise. “Probably not. I probably would have opted out,” he explained.
Along with his own NFL career, Davis also faced questions about updates around the league. The former tight end did not know that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis opened the doors for full fan attendance at stadiums across the state, but he expressed opposition to the idea. Davis said that he would have preferred to see them “take it slow” due to the number of people that have died.
Davis did not have to make any decisions about his NFL career following his retirement, but several other players had to make a difficult choice. Kansas City Chiefs running back Damien Williams, the man who scored two touchdowns in Super Bowl LIV, opted out of the season in late July. He joined teammate Laurent Duvernay-Tardif on the list of players skipping the slate of games due to various health and safety concerns.
“Damien Williams informed the club of his decision to opt-out of the 2020 season,” Chiefs GM Brett Veach said in a statement Wednesday. “As an organization, we certainly understand and respect Damien’s choice, knowing it was made in the best interest of his family. He means a lot to our football team as a player and a person, and we’re going to miss having him around this season.”
Several other NFL players opted out of the season ahead of Week 1. The list includes such names as Albert Wilson and Allen Hurns of the Miami Dolphins, Michael Pierce of the Minnesota Vikings and Patrick Chung and Dont’a Hightower of the New England Patriots. The six-time Super Bowl champion team topped the list with a total of eight players opting out.
