A Kansas City Chiefs player became the first in the league to opt out of the upcoming season.
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, a 29-year-old offensive lineman for the reigning Super Bowl champions who recently graduated from medical school, said he will continue to work in a long-term care facility in the Canadian province of Quebec, which he has been doing in recent months during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Being at the frontline during this offseason has given me a different perspective on this pandemic and the stress it puts on individuals and our healthcare system,” he wrote on social media on Friday. “I cannot allow myself to potentially transmit the virus in our communities simply to play the sport that I love. If I am to take risks, I will do it caring for patients.”
The league and the player’s union came to an agreement on Friday that players who are considered to be high-risk for COVID-19 can earn $350,000 if they choose to opt out of the season, and those who are not, including Duvernay-Tardif, can make $150,000, according to ESPN. He had been slated to make $2.75 million this season.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who led the team to their first Super Bowl victory in 50 years, was supportive of his teammate’s decision to stay on helping on the front lines of the pandemic.
“He’s the guy who’s been on the front lines, working with the people that are suffering from COVID day to day and putting in all that time and work,” Mahomes said. “He understands it, and his decision was he wants to stay there and keep helping in that capacity.”
