Maternity leave is not the only thing Tom Brady turns his head on, and the head of the NFL Players Association is not happy about it.
The 42-year-old quarterback disagrees with the NFLPA’s advice by continuing to do group training with his new teammates from Buccaneers, despite the increasing number of coronavirus cases in Florida.
“These practices are not in the best interests of player security,” NFLM President DeMaurice Smith told USA Today. “It is not in the best interest to protect our players on the way to the training camp. And I don’t think they are in our best interest to last an entire season. “
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The NFLPA urged its players to stop holding private workouts last Saturday as COVID-19 cases increased in states like Florida, Texas and Arizona.
Brady and his teammates trained at a local high school in Tampa, while Matthew Stafford also tossed in Lions teammates in videos released on social media Thursday.
The memo came after a 49ers player who had trained with his teammates in Nashville tested positive.
At least two privateers and an assistant coach have also recently tested positive.
“Please note that it is our consensual medical opinion that given the increase in COVID-19 cases in certain states, players should not exercise privately,” wrote NFLPA Medical Director Dr. Thom Mayer, in the letter.
“Our goal is that all players and their families will be as healthy as possible in the coming months.
“We are working on the best mitigation practices in the team facilities for both the training camp and the upcoming season and believe that it is in the best interest of all players to advise against voluntary common practices before the training camp begins.”
But that didn’t stop Brady and Stafford from continuing to train to prepare for a season that may or may not be happening.
The NFL and NFLPA still have problems clarifying how coronavirus cases are treated during the potential season.
“Anything players want to do in the off-season directly affects how well we can negotiate safeguards for them early in the season,” said Smith.
“If you look at the risk factors for COVID-19 – high (body mass index), sleep apnea, asthma, players who are prone to blood clots – this is our membership.
“For some of the players who practiced, we made sure they heard the news.”
However, it is not clear that Brady has. Instead, he posted a message on his Instagram on Thursday citing former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
‘The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.’ -FDR, ”wrote Brady.
This article first appeared on the New York Postand has been reproduced with permission.
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