The Cleveland Browns on Thursday became the latest in a growing number of NFL teams to announce their players have elected not to participate in in-person offseason work. Cleveland is at least the fifth (the Bears have since said "a majority" of their players will not partake, either) locker room to announce its plans, but this is different on a couple of fronts.
First, the Browns' announcement comes after the NFL released its offseason schedule, which includes one mandatory mini-camp. "The NFL's memo outlining how they plan to implement voluntary workouts falls short of what we as players believe is adequate," the memo, released via the NFLPA, reads. "The Cleveland Browns players agree that a virtual offseason, like we had last year, is the best decision for everyone in our league."
Second, NFLPA JC Tretter happens to be a Brown himself. Now, there was never any doubt the players association endorsed these moves -- first announced by the Seahawks, then followed by others -- given that they've been written on NFLPA letterhead. But the president's own team getting in on the movement squashes any discussion of dissent among player leadership.
In fact, Tetter has been at the forefront of the movement, saying as early as last year he thinks 2020 should forever change the NFL offseason.
"I believe the changes implemented this season have demonstrated that we can put an entertaining product out on the field while further reducing wear and tear on our players' bodies," he said at the time. "There is no reason for us to ever return to the previous offseason program."
Bucs coach Bruce Arians said in February that the virtual offseason push was a ploy by NFL veterans to hinder the development of younger players, just aiding their own job security.
"So that’s a narrative that just doesn’t have any factor or proof to it," Tretter said on Rich Eisen's podcast. "It’s just used to try to divide the union. But we know what we want. We have players talk and we as a union are in charge of representing what all players want, and that’s what we’re doing."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFU0paGklgs
Finally, the Browns announcement is different because the team brought numbers to support their position.
"The league-wide injury data supports us as well," the statement reads, "as NFL players experienced a 23% reduction in missed-time injuries last season."
Attempting to divide the workforce is a time-old management trick in any labor dispute. But anyone in labor knows that the best way to convince management to adopt pro-labor policies is to convince them the change not only benefits labor, but management as well.
Here's the Browns' full statement.
And here's the NFL's memo, sent earlier this week.
Will NFL clubs fine their entire rosters if they don't show up to minicamp? Will bottom-roster players voluntarily forfeit workout bonuses to show solidarity with their richer teammates?
The most fascinating ongoing development in the NFL is becoming more fascinating by the day.