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| - Kansas City Chiefs lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif has become the first player to opt out of the 2020 NFL season, citing concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. The Canadian guard, a practicing medical doctor who was a key part of the Chiefs' Super Bowl-winning campaign last season, made the announcement on social media. "This is one of the most difficult decisions I have had to make in my life but I must follow my convictions and do what I believe is right for me personally," the 29-year-old from Quebec said. "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 in our communities simply to play the sport I love. If I am to take risks, I will do it caring for patients." Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the Most Valuable Player in Kansas City's Super Bowl victory last February over San Francisco, said he understood the move. "I think it surprises anyone, but at the same time you respect his decision," Mahomes told reporters on a Saturday video conference call. "He's a guy that's been on those front lines working with the people that are suffering from COVID day to day and putting in all that time and all that work. He understands it and his decision was he wanted to stay there, he wanted keep helping in that capacity." Duvernay-Tardif's decision also was applauded by Chiefs teammate Tyreek Hill, who wrote on Twitter: "Gonna miss my brother in the locker room, but I love this move." The Chiefs reported to training camp on Saturday, earlier than most NFL clubs since they face Houston in the September 10 league opener three days before most teams take the field. That allowed Mahomes to speak with teammates about Duvernay-Tardif's choice. "Everybody respects his decision 100%," Mahomes said. "Being a doctor is extremely important, especially at this time that we're at in this world. He wants to make the world a better place and I believe he's doing that. "He has to be in that place now and we're going to respect it and give him as much support as we can." Mahomes, 24, signed a 10-year contract extension worth a potential $503 million on July 6. But he admits he still has COVID-19 worries. "Definitely there's going to be a little concern. You'd be lying to say you have no concern," Mahomes said. "But at the same time... seeing all the protocols and all the safety things... it has really kind of made me feel even better than I thought coming in." Preparation for the upcoming NFL campaign has already been impacted by COVID-19. This week, the NFL confirmed that the entire slate of pre-season exhibition games played through August and early September had been canceled. On Monday, the NFL bowed to demands from players for daily coronavirus testing for the first two weeks of training camp after a series of players had expressed concerns over safety protocols for the upcoming campaign. Duvernay-Tardif, who was drafted by the Chiefs in 2014, created a piece of NFL history last season when he became the first practicing medical doctor to play in the Super Bowl. A student of Montreal's prestigious McGill University Faculty of Medicine, Duvernay-Tardif juggled his NFL career and his studies, graduating in May 2018 with a doctorate in medicine and masters in surgery. rcw-js/mw
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