NFL Players Begin Reporting Despite Unresolved Virus Protocols

(Bloomberg) -- Rookies for the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans are set to report to team facilities Monday, even as the National Football League and the players’ union have yet to agree on virus-testing and safety protocols, training camp schedules and the status of preseason games.

Players who don’t show up as scheduled can potentially be fined and have their pay and bonuses docked, according to the terms of the league’s collective bargaining agreement. Those reporting on Monday in Kansas City, a group that also includes some veterans and the team’s quarterbacks, are expected to undergo testing for the Covid-19 virus, according to the NFL Network.

If players show up before an agreement is reached, it could set the stage for the National Football League Players Association to file a grievance against the league for fostering an unsafe working environment.

On Sunday, players took to Twitter to voice their concerns about the league’s decision to start training camps before an agreement was reached using the hashtag “WeWantToPlay.”

“We will continue to implement the health and safety protocols developed jointly with the NFLPA, and based on the advice of leading medical experts, including review by the CDC,” the NFL said in a July 17 statement following a league-wide conference call.

According to the union, 72 players had tested positive for the virus as of July 10. It didn’t disclose the number of players that have been tested.

In June, Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, said in an interview that “it would be very hard to see how football is able to be played this fall.”

A month later, some players are echoing his concern.

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