Players say no to voluntary program

They join others in NFL; COVID-19, recovery time cited

Browns players on April 15 announced they will not attend voluntary workouts in Berea with offseason programs across the league set to begin next week.

The decision comes as no surprise and follows the lead set by other teams.

“The NFL’s memo outlining how they plan to implement voluntary workouts falls short of what we as players believe is adequate,” the Browns players announced in a joint statement. “The Cleveland Browns players agree that a virtual offseason, like we had last year, is the best decision for everyone in our league.

“COVID-19 continues to affect our players, our families and our communities, and we must continue to take it seriously. In addition to the ongoing threat of the pandemic, we felt healthier both mentally and physically last year, which we attribute to sufficient recovery time and the lack of additional wear and tear on our bodies during the spring months. The leaguewide injury data supports us as well, as NFL players experienced a 23% reduction in missed-time injuries last season.

“For these reasons, we stand in solidarity with players from other clubs by exercising our CBA right to not attend in-person voluntary workouts this offseason. We are professionals who train year-round, wherever we spend our offseason. As we proved last year, we will be ready to compete this upcoming season.”

The Browns did not offer a response to the players’ decision. The first phase of offseason programs was set to begin April 19.

The Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers preceded the Browns in announcing they won’t participate in onsite workouts. Other teams are likely to fall in line in the next few days.

Browns center JC Tretter is the president of the NFLPA. He hinted at the end of last season that adjusting to the pandemic a year ago by holding all meetings and weight room workouts virtually opened the eyes of players to the idea the offseason as conducted previously was unnecessary.

“My focus will always be on what is the safest way for the players to prepare and get ready for a season and what is going to cause them to be better off in the long run from a health and safety perspective,” Tretter said on Jan. 18. “I think that should be everybody’s motivation – teams, coaches and everybody included.”

The offseason program proposed by the league lasts nine weeks and is divided into three phases. No onfield workouts are permitted in the first phase. Onfield workouts in the oneweek second phase must be performed at a teaching pace with no contact allowed. The third phase includes 10 days of full-speed spring practices with no contact.

The third phase includes a mandatory one-week minicamp at some-point between May 24 and June 18.