HOUSTON, TEXAS – JANUARY 04: Houston Texans JJ Watt # 99 leaves the field after their 22-19 overtime victory over Buffalo Bills in the AFC Wild Card playoff game at NRG Stadium on January 04 2020 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner / Getty Images)
As the NFL and the Players Association continue to find the necessary safety protocols for the coming season, Houston Texans star JJ Watt made it clear this week that he plans to withdraw from the season if one of these measurements included a face shield.
Watt told Pro Football Talk on Wednesday that he had already played with his face partially covered and that he was not a fan.
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“My second year in the league, I thought it would be cool, I put a visor on my helmet,” he said. “I was like, ‘It looks so cool, I want to put on a visor.’ I wore it for about three periods of practice and said, “Take off this sucker, I’m going to die here.” … So now are you going to put something around my mouth? You can keep that. If that comes into play, I don’t think you’re going to see me on the field. “
The absence of Watt on the ground can be a reality for Texans.
In May, ESPN announced that the league was working with sports equipment companies to test prototypes of protective masks that players could wear on the field.
It is not known if other players in the league share the same feelings about face masks as Watt, but the Players Association spoke out this week against the NFL safety protocol so close to the start of camp.
The problems started during the preseason calendar last week when the NFLPA voted unanimously to recommend that the league cancel the preseason all together just days after the NFL agreed to cancel the first and last matches of the preseason.
NFLPA President JC Tretter later criticized the league for “not wanting to prioritize player safety”. Philadelphia Eagles defensive forward Malik Jackson joined the team but on Wednesday called the league and the Players’ Association for lack of “security” and “financial” guarantees.
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