The NFL has about 1,700 players. Did you know one of them is also a MEDICAL DOCTOR? LAURENT DUVERNAY-TARDIF is an offensive lineman for the Kansas City Chiefs, and he's the only active NFL player with an M.D.
He graduated from McGill University med school in 2018, and he's been treating COVID-19 patients in the offseason. And now he's become the first NFL player to OPT OUT of the upcoming season.
Over the weekend, he announced he won't be playing in 2020, and said it wasn't an easy decision to make. But he's been working as an orderly at a care facility in Canada the last few months, and it's had a major effect on him.
He said, quote, "Being at the frontline during this offseason has given me a different perspective on this pandemic and the stress it puts on individuals, and our healthcare system. I cannot allow myself to potentially transmit the virus to our communities simply to play the sport that I love."
He says he thinks the Chiefs' medical team has a good plan in place to minimize risks, but that they can't eliminate them. And if he's going to take any risks at all, he'd rather do it caring for patients. (Here's his full statement.)
Sitting out means his finances will take a big hit. Instead of his $2.8 million base salary, he'll make $150,000 from the NFL this year.