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| - Kansas City Chiefs running back Damien Williams has joined the list of players to opt out of the 2020 NFL season as fears of the coronavirus grip the league, the Super Bowl champions confirmed Wednesday. In a brief statement, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach confirmed that Williams had told the club he would not be available this year. "Damien Williams informed the club of his decision to opt out of the 2020 season," Veach said. Williams, 28, played a key role for the Chiefs last season during their run to the Super Bowl, scoring his team's final two touchdowns in a 31-20 victory. Williams' withdrawal comes after team-mate Laurent Duvernay-Tardif announced his decision to opt out last week. Since then, multiple players have withdrawn from the season including six from the New England Patriots on Tuesday. Although Williams was not immediately available for comment, many players have cited fears over COVID-19 for their withdrawal. Patriots star Patrick Chung said Wednesday concern over the novel coronavirus had influenced his decision. "I'm at the latter half of my career so I wanted to play football, but when it comes down to it, I feel money is not that important," Chung told CBS television. "I have a girlfriend that's pregnant, baby girl coming soon, my son has a little asthma, my dad is 75 years old, so I just felt like this was the best decision for my family to keep everyone safe." rcw/ch
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