Chicago Bears: Khalil Mack speaks out on NFL’s laziness

With NFL training camps scheduled to open, Chicago Bears pass rusher Khalil Mack is frustrated, along with his peers.

It seems like this has been the longest NFL offseason in history. The fact that fans aren’t packed into Soldier Field to cheer on the Chicago Bears during the summer months, anyways, doesn’t matter.

The NFL doesn’t typically kick off until September, but this offseason is one for the history books. Due to the coronavirus crisis and the sports world being shut down, it feels like a whole lot more than seven months since we’ve seen football.

But, alas, NFL training camps are scheduled to kick off this week, with rookies set to report starting on Monday. Yet, as close as we are to live football action, the reality says we are much further away than some may think.

Sunday, players from around the league engaged in a planned “blitz” of the NFL in regards to their unwillingness to get a plan in place. They are all frustrated with how the league is handling (or not handling) player safety when it comes to football activities.

Texans defensive end J.J. Watt even posted a transparent list of things the players do not yet know, just so fans knew everything the players did. The list included things like not knowing whether there will be testing every day or every other day, not knowing how a player’s positive COVID-19 test will be handled, and a few other concerns that have yet to be addressed.

Watt was joined by countless peers around the NFL, and Bears pass rusher Khalil Mack joined the cause on Sunday.

Mack, like his fellow athletes, wants to play. Many of these players tweeted the phrase “We want to play” on Sunday. There is still no opt-out clause for players who may be at higher risk, or have family at higher risk, which is a mainstay in the players’ argument against the league right now. But, the fact is, these guys want to play — and that says something, especially during a pandemic.

Typically, Mack is a pretty quiet guy. He doesn’t have a very outgoing or outspoken personality with the media. But, the issue at hand is more than enough to get even the less outspoken guys talking publicly.

By next Tuesday, July 28, all players are scheduled to report to training camps. The hope is that all of this Bears roster is ready to roll and that there’s a plan in place for preseason (or no preseason). Until then, we’ll see more guys like Mack speaking out against the laziness of this league.