Deion Sanders Calls Out NFL Players For Opting Out and Being Bums...and He's RIGHT

Deion Sanders Calls Out NFL Players For Opting Out and Being Bums...and He's RIGHT

NFL Hall of Famer and former college football superstar Deion Sanders articulated his opinion this week on the growing number of football players at all levels who have chosen to opt-out of the 2020 season due to health concerns and worries with player safety. Sanders' strong take, which drew nearly 13,000 retweets and comments, was not well-received. "All Players OPTING out in all sports PLEASE BELIEVE the game will go on without u," Sanders tweeted on Friday to 1.1 million followers. "This is a business & don’t u EVER forget that. There’s NO ONE that’s bigger than the game itself. Only the ref, umps & officials are that important that u can’t play without them. NOT YOU!" Sanders' message was met with blowback from several verified accounts consisting of media members, players and former players who disagreed with his sentiment. The NFL's deadline for opting out came Thursday with five new names added to a long list. The New England Patriots led the league with eight players deciding to sit. "LIFE is bigger than any GAME family always comes first, especially when their health is at risk," former NFL cornerback Vontae Davis wrote in response. According to CBS Sports, the NFL and NFLPA gave players two different opt-out options. Players who qualify as having a high-risk condition will receive a $350,000 stipend that does not count as a salary advance, their contracts will toll, and they will earn an accrued season toward free agency. Those who don't qualify as high risk can choose the voluntary opt-out option, which includes a $150,000 salary advance for the 2021 season and a tolling of contracts but no credit of an accrued season. In college football, despite enhanced safety protocols in place at the FBS level including weekly coronavirus tests and social-distancing efforts, the risk was too much to bear for some. “The problem,” an anonymous agent told ESPN, "is there are thousands of guys who think they're as good as those players, might take that same gamble and might ultimately fail.” Articles: https://247sports.com/Article/Deion-Sanders-crushed-for-strong-take-on-player-opt-outs-150033799/

Oshay Duke Jackson