NFL Reminds Players Of Incentive To Participate In Voluntary Workouts

The NFL is trying to sweeten the deal to try and convince players to participate in voluntary workouts this offseason.

Players on several teams, including the New England Patriots, have announced they will not participate in this year’s voluntary offseason workouts due to COVID-19 concerns.

Now, the league appears to be attempting to convince some players to attend.

Players must honor their team’s “reasonable workout requirements” in order to receive their workout bonus, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

“Virtual workouts are neither required nor prohibited, and clubs have discretion whether to treat virtual workouts as satisfying the requirements of the Player Contract,” the NFL said Wednesday in a memo to teams, per Pelissero.

Injuries, however, are another thing.

Should a player get hurt during a virtual workout (authorized by team staff, of course) or at a team facility, the injury will be considered football-related, per the report. Any injury sustained away from the club will be considered a non-football injury.

Clubs reportedly will not be responsible for compensating players should they sustain a non-football injury.