The NFL has been sitting pretty during the offseason, waiting and watching to see what Major League Baseball, the NHL and NBA do as it comes to returning to play amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Time is running out, and as the rubber meets the road, there are some new wrinkles in discussions that need ironed out.
The most recent issue that has players scratching their heads is the league reportedly asking them to move some of their 2020 salary to escrow to offset the losses the league will endure if no fans are in the seats this season.
To suggest this went over like a lead balloon might be an understatement.
The players union essentially told the league to go kick rocks. But with this being just one of the issues facing the league and the players association, some are wondering what is holding players back from doing whatever it takes to get back on the field. The health of players, testing and protocol side of the debate is obvious, but Zach Banner is wondering if there isn't something else which is keeping players from being all-in for the upcoming season.
He took to his verified Twitter page to sound off about it.
Don’t let EVERY SINGLE NFL VETERAN’s words and opinions about this season fool you... Yes there are some honest DADS, SONS, and BROTHERS in this league who are concerned about their families with COVID-19
But some dudes ain’t been working out and don’t want to be exposed...🤷🏽♂️
— Zach Banner (@ZBNFL) July 8, 2020
Let the record show Banner has been far more forthcoming this preseason than any prior when it comes to his work ethic and training. Banner has been working out with fellow lineman Matt Feiler and honing their craft on a daily basis.
According to Banner, there are some veterans who might have been taking it easy a bit too much this offseason.
The Steelers, as a team, have been working hard throughout the pandemic and during the time usually set aside for Organized Team Activities (OTAs) and minicamp. Many like Steven Nelson, Eric Ebron and Diontae Johnson have not been shy with sharing their impressive work ethic off the field this offseason.
Is Banner speaking truth? Clearly there will be some players who haven't worked as hard on their own compared to if they were at the team facility, but Mike Tomlin certainly has been preaching conditioning, and overall readiness, to his team.
"Physical conditioning is going to be a significant element of this process." Tomlin said in his virtual press conference last week. "It’s going to define their journey and ours collectively. Those that are communal conditioners are working at a disadvantage in this 2020 environment. Those that are new to professional football and what’s really physically required of them through the evaluation process are working at a distinct advantage. We talk openly about that elephant in the room. It doesn’t lessen the anxiety. Man, we better have a group of guys that come ready to work from a physical conditioning standpoint, and if we do, we will be able to navigate the other challenges. If we don’t, all the other challenges are going to be magnified."
Banner has been putting in the work, and so have many of his teammates. As training camps are set to begin at the end of the month, players who haven't been doing as much as they can have officially been put on notice.
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