Brady Quinn: “It’s not all about COVID, folks. I hate to break it to you but it’s a business decision right now… Some players may have a history of illness and could have a compromised immune system – they’ve elected to opt-out…When you are more ‘at-risk’ based on your previous health history you get $350,000 to opt-out. It comes out of your future salary and you could make plenty more than that, but you do get rewarded with more immediately when you are at risk… But here’s why it’s a business decision NOW. They’ve already reported to training camp. They had to go to training camp and take their two rounds of COVID testing and quarantine. This was on the 28th, so we’re talking about five days ago. If it was about health, or about you or any of your loved ones, you would have went in and took it, and said I’m either at risk or I’ve got someone who is, and I’m opting out. If you were waiting and now you’ve decided, it’s become a business decision. You’re waiting longer and longer to see what the language is going to be in the revised CBA and what it's gonna say in there for your potential future earnings, or what’s it gonna say in regards to opt-outs. If you opt-out, you get a minimum of $150,000 right now and then anything else you made this year are kept. So there’s signing bonuses for a new contract, roster bonuses, workout bonuses… But your base salary still isn’t necessarily guaranteed. There’s a caveat. If you opt-out you get $150,000 or $350,000 if you’re ‘at-risk’. So what if you decide to play this year? Once you get past that deadline there’s no going back. Here’s the issue. If they stop or postpone the season you only get a prorated amount. So if you only play 4 games, the other 12 goes bye-bye. Guys that signed a one-year deal; not only are they subject to get cut, but they’re thinking they might not even be in the best shape to make this team, so why not toll my contract to next year and then wait till then to figure it out.” (Full Audio Above)
Listen to former NFL player Brady Quinn explain why he thinks the trending storyline of NFL players opting out of the 2020 season has more to do with individuals making calculated business decisions than actually fearing for one’s personal health towards COVID-19.
Check out the audio above as Quinn details why many players are using the league’s coronavirus opt-out option to leverage themselves a guaranteed salary and roster spot next season, as many players with one year left on their deal or high risks to not even make the team in 2020 are simply opting out to save themselves from either being cut, or the season being cancelled, and are instantly pocketing the guaranteed money from opting-opt.
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