Jaguars' Chris Conley Voices Concerns Alongside Other Players on Returning

Chris Conley has spoken out on the impasse the NFL and players find themselves at as the NFL attempts to start the season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Sunday afternoon, wave after wave of NFL players voiced their concerns, and displeasure, at the league office and owners due to the uncertainty surrounding safety protocols and plans to address the COVID-19 pandemic ahead of July 28's scheduled training camp start date.

Several players throughout the league posted on social media with Tweets with the hashtag #WeWantToPlay, putting pressure on the NFL to respond to their inquiries about the safety of training camp and the NFL season in general. Among the players were Russell Wilson, Patrick Mahomes, Drew Brees, Stefon Diggs and Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Chris Conley. 

The @nfl is taking their sweet time to formulate safety protocols for positive cases. They have also ignored the recommendations by medical professionals hired to help us safely begin. #WeWantToPlay but a plan has to be in place. People aren’t expendable," Conley tweeted.

This has the potential to limit some teams in competition. The damage could cause the season to end early. People think players are complaining. No we just realize that without a better plan the season will likely be cut short and we could get our families sick in the process.

— Chris Conley (@ConmanXP) July 19, 2020

Brees tweeted: “We need Football! We need sports! We need hope! The NFL’s unwillingness to follow the recommendations of their own medical experts will prevent that. If the NFL doesn’t do their part to keep players healthy there is no football in 2020. It’s that simple. Get it done @NFL.”

Mahomes, the 2018 Most Valuable Player and arguably the new face of the league, said: "Getting ready to report this week hoping the @NFL will come to agreement with the safe and right protocols so we can feel protected playing the sport we love #WeWantToPlay."

This seemingly coordinated push from NFL players from all over the league could be in response to a memo the league office sent to head coaches and general managers on Saturday from Troy Vincent, the league's executive vice president of football operations. 

The memo reinforced the league's stance that training camp is to begin for the Jaguars and the rest of the league on July 28, with rookies reporting on Tuesday and quarterbacks and injured players on Thursday.

The league and the NFL Players Association, the union which represents the league's players, have been in a tense back-and-forth over training camp, the preseason and the regular season since COVID-19 has presented public health and logistic issues. So far, players have continued to say they have proposed countless questions (such as what happens if a player tests positive), but the league hasn't delivered clear answers. 

What you are seeing today is our guys standing up for each other and for the work their union leadership has done to keep everyone as safe as possible. The NFL needs to listen to our union and adopt the experts' recommendations #wewanttoplay

— JC Tretter (@JCTretter) July 19, 2020