Chiefs' Laurent Duvernay-Tardif first to opt out of 2020 NFL season

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif of the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs became the first player to opt out of the upcoming NFL season because of the coronavirus pandemic Friday.

Duvernay-Tardif earned a medical degree from McGill University in Canada and has been working to fulfill his requirements to become a doctor in the offseason. He has been on the front lines of the fight against covid-19 this summer and said in a social media post if he is going to take any health risks, it will be to help patients.

The NFL and its players association agreed earlier Friday to an opt-out clause for the upcoming season. Those who choose not to play will receive a $150,000 stipend rather than their contractual salary, two people with knowledge of the decisions told the Associated Press. Those with medical opt outs will receive $350,000. The people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the stipend amount was not made public.

The deadline to opt out is Aug. 3.

Duvernay-Tardif signed a four-year deal in February 2017 that would have paid a base salary of $2.75 million this season.

The Chiefs welcomed rookies to training camp earlier this week, though most of their time was spent undergoing tests for covid-19 and taking routine physicals. Veterans such as Duvernay-Tardif were expected to arrive in the coming days.