The initial August 3 deadline for NFL players to decide whether or not to opt out of the 2020 season is likely to be pushed back due to delays in formalizing the league’s CBA adjustments.
According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, the opt-out deadline is meant to be seven days after the league’s COVID-19 protocols are finalized by both the NFL and NFLPA. That has not actually happened yet as of Wednesday night, meaning at this point the deadline won’t come any earlier than August 6.
As of Wednesday evening, the NFL and NFLPA have not finalized the language of their COVID-19 protocols. They will, surely, but the deadline for players to opt out is 7 days after that happens. So if it's finalized Thursday, players have until Aug. 6 to opt out.
— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) July 29, 2020
There does not appear to be significant concern that there are any problems with the finalization process, and the suggestion is that the situation could be sorted within a day or two.
Numerous NFL players have already exercised their right to opt-out. More are likely to follow before the deadline, whenever it ultimately ends up being.
