Kansas City Chiefs’ guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif has officially announced that he has decided to sit out the upcoming NFL football season due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Canadian athlete is the first NFL player to graduate from medical school and has been working on the front lines of COVID-19 as an orderly at a long-term care facility in his hometown of Montreal, Quebec.
In an Instagram statement posted on Friday, Duvernay-Tardif wrote, “This is one of the most difficult decisions I have had to make in my life but I must follow my convictions and do what I believe is right for me personally. That is why I have decided to take the Opt Out Option negotiated by the League and the NFLPA and officially opt out of the 2020 season.”
Duvernay-Tardif also stated in his post that he knows the team’s medical staff will provide a safe environment for the players, but does not want to take the risk. “Being on the frontline during this offseason has given me a different perspective on this pandemic and the stress it puts on individuals and our healthcare system. I cannot allow myself to potentially transmit the virus in our communities to simply play the sport that I love. If I am to take risks, I will do it caring for patients,” he said.
The announcement by Duvernay-Tardif came just hours after the NFL and NFLPA provided an opt-out plan that would pay a stipend to players who desire to sit out the upcoming season due to COVID-19. Duvernay-Tardif will acquire $150,000 this season under protections linked to the opt-out, although he was originally scheduled to receive $7.5 million in cap space this season.
Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes said in a press conference on Saturday that he respects his teammates decision.”He’s a guy that’s been on those front lines working with the people that are suffering from COVID day to day and putting in all that time and all that work. He understands it and his decision was he wanted to stay there; he wanted keep helping in that capacity and I know it was difficult for him, but you respect the decision for him to kinda put his thoughts aside and kinda do what he thought was best to help out his community and the world as he sees it… It’s made me feel better even than I thought coming in, knowing how much the NFL and NFLPA has really put in to making sure that we can be as safe as we possibly can be,” he said.
The Chiefs’ Wide receiver Tyreek Hill and linebacker Anthony Hitchens tweeted in response to their fellow teammate with praise and support.
