‘Family is No. 1.’ Dallas Cowboys’ DeMarcus Lawrence mulls avoiding camp due to virus
Not only did Dallas Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence and linebacker Jaylon Smith join a number of NFL players raising concerns about returning to play amid the coronavirus pandemic, but Lawrence also acknowledged that he is considering not reporting to training camp.
With his wife, Sasha, pregnant and due in October, Lawrence wants to make sure his family is safe and how that would work with him playing football in the middle of a pandemic.
And there are still a host of unanswered concerns the players have with the NFL, including the frequency of COVID-19 testing, the number of preseason games and opt-out agreements as well as the living situations and the possibility of being isolated from family during training camp.
“This is absolutely serious,” said to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Sunday. “Don’t get me wrong. I want to play football so bad. I have been wanting to play ever since they shut down everything. But this is not like any other sport. This is a full contact sport. We are sitting here once inch off the football. That means the offensive tackle is going to be right there breathing right in my face the whole time.
“I have to go home and lay by my wife and kids right after that point. It’s no way possible any man should sit here and jeopardize the health of his family and his household over a game. That is how I feel.”
Lawrence is slated to report to training camp on July 28. Players have until Aug. 1 at 4 p.m. to opt out.
“We are supposed to report on the 28th,” Lawrence said. “I am not going to set anything in stone and say I ain’t going to report. But I am going to make sure my family is taken care of first and foremost before I make any decision about reporting to training camp and being around other guys.
“I am going to be smart about my decisions. I am not going to set nothing in stone. But I am going to make sure my household is safe.”
If he doesn’t show up, Lawrence might have to repay a portion of the signing bonus he received with the five-year, $105 million contract extension he signed before last season.
Lawrence missed the birth of his son in 2014 because of a rookie mini camp and he says family is most important.
“I understand what’s in place,” Lawrence said about the contract. “But I will spend everything in my pockets to make sure that my kids and my wife are alive at the end of the day.”
“It’s those types of things that make you think, ‘Man, are we some pawns? Is my life just a game,’” Lawrence said to ESPN.com. “I know I ain’t got forever to play, but at the end of the day, come on, you’re just going to toss me around because you’ve got dollar signs in your face?
“But my No. 1 concern is, will I be able to see my family and be there for my daughter’s birth?” Lawrence said. “If I can’t be, we’re really going to have to take some major difficult considerations about this season because I’m not missing the birth of another child.”
Lawrence reiterated that he wants to play football. He is working out every day, twice a day to get himself in proper shape. His commitment to the game, however, doesn’t outweigh his commitment to his family.
“I am ready to play football. I am so ready to play football. You have no idea,” Lawrence said. “But it’s going to come with a cost. I don’t know that I am ready to pay that cost.”
In regards to the testing and whether it will be daily or every other day, Lawrence said the players better be prepared for some discomfort.
“I don’t think a lot of boys went and got tested yet but I have gotten tested,” Lawrence said with a laugh. “There is no way in hell we can get those Q tips stuck up our nose every day. That thing hurts, man. It hurts. That pain lingers for a good 10 minutes.”
Lawrence’s comments came on the same day a number of players took to social media to voice their concerns.
Smith tweeted: “#WeWantToPlay We just wanna be safe. We want our families to be safe.”
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson tweeted: “I am concerned. My wife is pregnant. @NFL Training camp is about to start..And there’s still No Clear Plan on Player Health & Family Safety. We want to play football but we also want to protect our loved ones. #WeWantToPlay.”
And Lawrence then tweeted Wilson: “I SECOND THIS! How has the @NFL had this long to prep but still have NO real plan in place? We are less than 10 days before we are REQUIRED to report! I refuse to put my pregnant wife/family at risk w/o understanding exactly what the plan for our safety & well being will be.”
All the tweets came with the hashtag #WeWantToPlay.
Other players involved included Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman and Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett.
This story was originally published July 19, 2020 at 3:27 PM.
