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APC Podcast, 7/30: Opting out — players weigh tough decisions

Devin Funchess is the only Packers player to opt out so far, but he’s far from the only NFL player to choose to sit out in 2020.

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As the week began, we watched with some interest as the occasional NFL player announced their intention to opt out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns. But the dominoes continued to fall, and by the time we hit record (at about 6pm EST Wednesday), at least 28 players had decided to opt out, including six members of the New England Patriots. Teams are now in the first testing protocol phase of training camp, and if all goes well, many players will report to facilities in the coming days (some already have, in fact).

On today’s episode, we ask a few tough questions. Firstly, how many opt outs is too many? Is there a point where the sheer number of players choosing to sit makes a quality product untenable? Or would a stoppage likely have more to do with the caliber or notability of certain players dropping out? For example, is one Aaron Rodgers worth 10 Danny Vitales? It’s a morbid sort of math. And secondly, should there be football at all? Given what we’ve seen with baseball’s resumption and the subsequent outbreak in Miami, is it just flat out a bad idea to have a season at all?

We know these topics can get a bit highly charged, and we’d love to hear what you think in the comments below — respectfully, please.


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