Houston Texans: J.J. Watt remains candid about NFL’s return to play plan

The Houston Texans are set to begin training camp within a week and there are still a lot of unanswered questions. J.J. Watt recently spoke out on this.

The Houston Texans are going to be starting things up pretty soon as the NFL has declared that training camp will be starting on time despite the many questions that players — as well as fans — have about how the league is going to be able to keep players safe.

The NFL is trying its best not to be a victim of this pandemic by canceling their season and they want to proceed as planned, even if stadiums will not be filled with fans and the traffic-jammed parking lots surrounding them.

I would honestly think it’s a huge long-shot to see fans inside stadiums this season and it’s a certainty that they won’t be able to attend when the season kicks off in September.

Television, radio as well as the Internet will be incredible tools to reach us as fans as we try our best to stay connected to the teams that we love.  This would leave more opportunities for advertisers to promote their products — likely at reduced rates because of pandemic — to help minimize the impact to the league’s bottom line.

But as much as we have a concern about if the season will actually start, there are questions we have on how players will approach this offseason as well as the season.

What will things look like for Houston Texans’ players like Deshaun Watson, J.J. Watt, Whitney Mercilus, Laremy Tunsil and Brandin Cooks to name a few?

Watt recently weighed in on the situation and here’s what he tweeted out:

The fact that the players don’t know what the exact protocols are if they came in contact

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with one that has tested positive for COVID-19 is mind-boggling.

In a piece I wrote yesterday, I had that same concern because it was clear what was done with the player but the NFL’s latest release didn’t necessarily address the players that they came in contact with, other than that they’ll be able to contact trace with a device each player will wear at all times at the training facility.

In addition, the opt-out clause is important because not every player is going to feel comfortable playing in this environment.  They may be high-risk, their wife may be having a baby, etc.

There are still questions about how testing will be carried out, the attendance policy and how training camp will start when players haven’t had time to get ready.

I’m positive that we will learn more about what’s on deck in the coming days but one thing’s for sure, Watt — as I’m sure many others as well as fans — want to see themselves on the gridiron as soon as possible but in the safest of manners.

Let’s hope this happens soon without minimal hitches…