As concerns over the coronavirus continue to grow, several NFL players are choosing to opt out of the 2020 season.
The NFL’s agreement with the Players Association allowed training camp to open on time Tuesday, but the agreement also allows players to opt out by Aug. 6 without being in violation of their contracts. NFL players considered high risk can earn $350,000 and an accrued NFL season if they choose to opt out. Players deemed low risk can still earn up to $150,000 if they choose to opt out.
There also will be a fund established to pay back any benefits eliminated as a result of COVID-19 up to 2023, as well as to pay back any lost guaranteed money to players.
Here’s a look at some of the players who chose to opt out so far.
NFL players opting out for 2020 season:
New England Patriots
Dont’a Hightower (LB)
Hightower made the decision to opt out after recently becoming a father. His mom L’Tanya also has diabetes. He led all off-ball linebackers in total pressures over the past three seasons, according to Pro Football Focus. He was to earn a base salary of $8 million in the final year of his contract, which will be pushed to 2021.
Brandon Bolden (RB)
Bolden was scheduled to enter his ninth season in the NFL, his eighth in New England. He was set to make $1.3 million in his base salary for the final year of his contract, which will also be pushed to 2021.
Marcus Cannon (OT)
As a cancer survivor, Cannon made the decision to opt out over medical concerns. In 2011, he overcame non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after he was drafted by the team. He will be receiving the $350,000 as a confirmed high risk.
Danny Vitale (FB)
After signing a one-year, $1.3 million deal with $100,000 guaranteed as a free agent in May, the 26-year-old made the decision to opt out. After playing 15 games for the Green Bay Packers in 2019, he wasn’t locked in as a starter for the Patriots up against second-year Jakob Johnson.
Najee Toran (C/G)
Toran, an undrafted free-agent signing of the 49ers in 2018, spent last season on the Patriots’ practice squad and was set to compete for a reserve job.
Patrick Chung (S)
At 32 with another child on the way, the second-round pick in the 2009 Draft made the decision to opt out of this season.
Marqise Lee (WR)
The seventh Patriots player to opt out of the season, Lee inked a one-year deal in the offseason. In opting out, he cited his recently born daughter and family health as reasons.
Matt LaCosse (TE)
On Aug. 2, the 27-year-old former Giant became the eighth Patriots player to opt out. The Patriots have the most players who have opted out in the NFL.
New York Giants
Nate Solder (OT)
The 32-year-old tackle announced Wednesday he’s opting out as his son Hudson is battling cancer. Solder, who had testicular cancer six years ago, also recently had another baby boy.
Da’Mari Scott (WR)
The 24-year-old is the second Giants player to opt out. He returned four kicks and six punts across five games for the Giants last season.
Sam Beal (CB)
The Giants lost another potential starter, as the 23-year-old Beal opted-out of the 2020 season, according to the league’s transaction wire.
San Francisco 49ers
Travis Benjamin (WR)
The 30-year-old opted out of the season, saying in a statement that “this is the best decision for my family.”
Philadelphia Eagles
Marquise Goodwin (WR)
Acquired during the 2020 NFL Draft from the 49ers, the speedy 29-year-old has a 5-month-old daughter. His wife previously had three miscarriages, according to NFL Network.
New York Jets
C.J. Mosley (LB)
Mosley opting out of the season is a big hit to a defense that just lost Jamal Adams last week. After signing a massive contract last offseason, he’s played just one game for the Jets so far.
Leo Koloamatangi (OG)
The 26-year-old spent some time on the Jets’ active roster late last season and was re-signed in April.
Josh Doctson (WR)
The Jets signed Doctson in February hoping he could provide some depth at receiver. Doctson, a former first-round pick by the Washington Football Team, taken 22nd overall in 2016, was no sure thing to make the roster but would have been competing for the fourth or fifth receiver spot in training camp.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Al Woods (DT)
Woods, 29, signed a one-year deal with the Jags this offseason and announced his decision on Twitter: “The health and safety of my family has always been the most important thing in my life. I love the game of football and will be rooking hard for my teammates this season, and I look forward to re-joining the Jaguars in 2021.”
Lerentee McCray (LB)
McCray re-signed with the Jags in the offseason and would have been a free agent again after the 2020 season. Head coach Doug Marrone has already said he’s looking forward to McCray’s veteran presence returning to the locker room.
Buffalo Bills
Star Lotulelei (DT)
Missing Lotulelei will leave a big hole in the Bills’ defense this season. He signed a five-year, $50 million deal with the team in 2018 and has started ever since, operating as a primary run-stopper. The 30-year-old was due to make a guaranteed $4.5 million this year.
E.J. Gaines (CB)
The 28-year-old was cut by the Bills last summer after going on IR with a core muscle injury, and he missed the entire season. He played in just six games in 2018 with the Browns because of two concussions.
Dallas Cowboys
Stephen Guidry (WR)
Guidry signed with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent earlier this year. Although not deemed high risk to receive the agreed $150,000 stipend, he is still allowed to keep his $10,000 signing bonus as the Cowboys hold his rights.
Maurice Canady (CB)
The 26-year-old played five games for the Jets and eight games for the Ravens last season, totaling 45 tackles, one interception, one forced fumble and five pass deflections. He signed a one-year deal with the Cowboys as a free agent in March.
Jamize Olawale (FB)
The veteran fullback has appeared in all of the Cowboys’ 32 regular-season games since being traded by Oakland before the 2018 season.
Minnesota Vikings
Michael Pierce (DT)
Pierce, 27, signed a three-year, $27 million contract with the Vikings after four years playing nose tackle for the Ravens. He has respiratory issues and is considered high risk.
Baltimore Ravens
Andre Smith (OT)
The longtime Cincinnati Bengal signed with the Ravens just before they lost to the Titans in the playoffs and the 33-year-old was brought back on a one-year deal.
De’Anthony Thomas (WR)
As Baltimore’s primary returner last season, the Ravens re-signed him to a one-year, $935,000 contract with only $25,000 guaranteed.
Chicago Bears
Eddie Goldman (DT)
Goldman’s second year of his four-year $42.04 million extension contract is put on hold, although he would have the fifth-highest paid player on Chicago’s roster (in terms of cap hit). Losing him will leave a gigantic hole in the defensive front.
Jordan Lucas (S)
Lucas, who played at New Rochelle HS, signed a one-year deal with the Bears after winning a Super Bowl with the Chiefs.
Washington Football Team
Caleb Brantley (DL)
Brantley, a 25-year-old former sixth-round pick, was signed by Washington in 2018. He was on injured reserve for 15 games last season.
Josh Harvey-Clemons (LB)
A depth linebacker, Harvey-Clemons appeared in nine games last year and has played in 35 games across his three seasons with Washington.
Kansas City Chiefs
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (G)
The first official player to opt out of the 2020 season. He played every snap during their Super Bowl LIV victory over the 49ers, and has been a consistently reliable starting right guard during his last five seasons with the franchise.
Damien Williams (RB)
A hero in Super Bowl 2020, Williams informed the team that he’ll sit out this season. “As an organization, we certainly understand and respect Damien’s choice, knowing it was made in the best interest of his family,” GM Brett Veach said.
Seattle Seahawks
Chase Warmack (G)
Warmack reportedly had a family member die of COVID-19 and other family members hospitalized. After signing a veteran-minimum deal with Seattle in March, he went back and forth on whether to play this season before making the decision.
Denver Broncos
Kyle Peko (DT)
The 27-year-old has a “pre-condition,” Broncos general manager John Elway told reporters Tuesday.
Ja’Wuan James (RT)
A big blow for the Broncos as the 28-year-old James, whom Denver signed to a four-year, $51 million deal last year, is the team’s starting right tackle. He played just three games last year because of knee issues.
Green Bay Packers
Devin Funchess (WR)
The 26-year-old was the first Packers player to opt out of the NFL season. He signed a one-year deal worth $1 million guaranteed during the offseason.
Houston Texans
Eddie Vanderdoes (DT)
A third-round pick of the Raiders in 2017, the 25-year-old appeared in three games for the Texans last season.
Tennessee Titans
Anthony McKinney (OT)
The undrafted free agent out of TCU will not be eligible for the $150,000 stipend veterans can receive.
New Orleans Saints
Cole Wick (TE)
The 26-year-old, who was set to compete for a backup job with the Saints, reportedly has an asthma condition.
Jason Vander Laan (TE)
Vander Laan, 27, appeared in two games for the Saints last year and played four games for the Colts in 2017.
Carolina Panthers
Jordan Mack (LB)
An undrafted free agent out of Virginia, the 22-year-old won’t be eligible for the veteran stipend.
Christian Miller (LB)
The 24-year-old, a fourth-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, says he’s opting out because he is high risk. He appeared in seven games as a rookie.
Detroit Lions
John Atkins (DT)
Atkins, 27, appeared in 12 games for the Lions last season, starting six of them, after being activated from the practice squad in October.
Geronimo Allison (WR)
After four seasons with the Packers, the 26-year-old Allison joined the Lions on a one-year deal this year.
Cleveland Browns
Drew Forbes (OG)
After being selected in the sixth round out of Southeast Missouri State in 2019, the 23-year-old appeared in two games for the Browns.
Drake Dorbeck (OT)
The 6-foot-7 23-year-old was an undrafted free agent out of Southern Miss and is not eligible for a stipend for opting out.
Andrew Billings (DT)
The 25-year-old signed with the Browns this year after spending three seasons with the Bengals, with whom he started 30 out of 32 games the last two years.
Colby Gossett (OG)
Gossett, a 2018 sixth-round pick of the Vikings, spent most of last season on Cleveland’s practice squad. The 25-year-old has played in five NFL games in his career, all with the Cardinals in 2018.
Los Angeles Rams
Chandler Brewer (OT)
A 23-year-old who appeared in seven games last season, Brewer is high risk because of his previous battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Cincinnati Bengals
Isaiah Prince (OT)
Prince, a 2019 sixth-round pick by the Dolphins, was signed by the Bengals at the end of last season and was set to provide depth at tackle.
Josh Tupou (DT)
After appearing in just seven games over his first two seasons, the 26-year-old played in all 16 games for the Bengals in 2019, starting seven.
Las Vegas Raiders
D.J. Killings (CB)
The 24-year-old missed all of last season with a torn pectoral.
Jeremiah Valoaga (DE)
The Raiders claimed the 25-year-old off waivers from the 49ers in December and was brought back on a one-year deal.
Ukeme Eligwe (LB)
Eligwe, who played 10 games for the Giants in 2018, was not guaranteed to make the Raiders’ roster.
Indianapolis Colts
Skai Moore (LB)
Moore, 25, appeared in just one game for the Colts last season after appearing in nine games in 2018 as an undrafted free agent.
Miami Dolphins
Allen Hurns (WR)
The veteran receiver, 28, caught two touchdowns in 14 games for Miami last season. He’s been a supporting player since catching 10 touchdowns with Jacksonville in 2015.
Albert Wilson (WR)
The Dolphins lost another offensive weapon on Aug. 5 with the 28-year-old Wilson opting out. He had 742 yards and five touchdowns in 20 games over the last two seasons with Miami.
Arizona Cardinals
Marcus Gilbert (OT)
Gilbert announced he was opting out “as a high-risk player with high-risk family members.” The 32-year-old missed all of last season with a knee injury.
Free agents
Larry Warford (OG)
The 29-year-old three-time Pro Bowler had multiple offers to play this year, according to ESPN, but will opt out and try to play in 2021.