Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller was one of the first NFL players to test positive for COVID-19, and he hopes his fellow players recognize what a serious concern it is.
Miller said he gave “serious consideration” to opting out this season.
“I weighed the positives and negatives and came to my own decision and felt like I could play,” he said, via the Denver Post. “The job the Broncos are doing to keep us safe was enough for me to not opt out.”
Miller said he lost 15 pounds and struggled to work out for a few weeks.
“From my teammates, I get all types of questions about the virus,” he said. “I feel like it’s me pushing [the conversation] out there and saying, ‘This thing is serious. It’s very, very serious.’ . . . We see the types of things happening in baseball [with outbreaks] and we just don’t want that to happen in the NFL.”
If it is hard for baseball players to prevent an outbreak, it is going to be even harder for football players, given the nature of the sport. Players should take Miller’s warning seriously.