CLEVELAND — Editor's note: the video in the player above is from a previous story.
The Cleveland Browns are the latest team to announce that they will not report to voluntary workouts this offseason due to concerns regarding the NFL's COVID-19 protocols.
In a statement released on behalf of the Browns on Thursday, the NFL Players' Association said:
"The NFL's memo outlining how they plan to implement voluntary workouts falls short of what we as players believe is adequate. The Cleveland Browns players agree that a virtual offseason, like we had last year, is the best decision for everyone in our league.
COVID-19 continues to affect our players, our families and our communities, and we must continue to take it seriously. In addition to the ongoing threat of the pandemic, we felt healthier both mentally and physically last year, which we attribute to sufficient recovery time and the lack of additional wear and tear on our bodies during the spring months. The league-wide injury data supports us as well, as NFL players experienced a 23% reduction in missed-time injuries last season.
"For these reasons, we stand in solidarity with players from other clubs by exercising our CBA right to not attend in-person voluntary workouts this offseason. We are professionals who train year-round, wherever we spend our offseason. As we proved last year, we will be ready to compete this upcoming season."
Earlier this week, players from the Chicago Bears, New England Patriots, Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos announced they won't be participating in voluntary in-person workouts.