Source: Chance Warmack opts out of Seahawks season after losing family member to COVID-19
New Seahawk Chance Warmack is the latest NFL player to opt out of playing this season during the pandemic.
The Seahawks signed the offensive lineman and former Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagle this spring but he’s exercising his right to opt out of the 2020 season over concerns about the COVID-19 virus.
A league source with direct knowledge of the decision confirmed Warmack’s choice to The News Tribune Monday afternoon.
The source told the TNT Warmack, 28, has “lost a family member to COVID, and some close family friends have been hospitalized.”
Warmack coming off the roster and cornerback Quinton Dunbar going on the NFL commissioner’s exempt list Monday for an indefinite period leaves Seattle with 79 players. That’s one below the new limit of 80 per the NFL’s COVID-19 protocols for the start of training camps.
The Seahawks’ camp begins Tuesday with COVID-19 tests for all players and coaches.
Warmack is a Black man who’s 6-foot-2 and 323 pounds. The Center for Disease Control has stated certain racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionately at risk at getting sick from the COVID-19 virus, and that people with a high body-mass index also are at greater risk for severe illness if they contract the coronavirus.
Warmack joins De’Anthony Thomas and Chiefs guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif as NFL players opting out of the coming season.
Players have another week to opt out of this season. The agreement the league and its players’ union reached Friday on COVID-19 testing and safety protocols gave all players the ability to opt out until Aug. 3.
Players who opt out will receive a stipend from team owners. Those who voluntarily opt out will receive $150,000. Those who get medical opt outs because they are determined to be higher-risk candidates to get COVID-19 will receive $350,000.
Warmack’s contract will “toll,” per the NFL’s protocols agreement with the NFL Players Association. That means his contract year does not count toward free agency and instead is put on hold, like a college redshirt year. Technically, he can have his one-year contract with Seattle for the 2021 season.
Warmack has not played since 2018. The 10th-overall pick in the 2013 draft signed in March with Seattle for one year. He started his first three seasons in the league at right guard for the Tennessee Titans, through 2015. He played in only two games for them in 2016, which ended for him on injured reserve. In his first season with the Eagles, their Super Bowl-winning one of 2017, he was mostly a reserve left guard. He played in nine games as a back-up for Philadelphia in 2018, then for no one because of injury issues last year.
The Seahawks are well-stocked at guard. They drafted Damien Lewis in the third round from LSU to replace released D.J. Fluker as the starting right guard.
The Seahawks this spring re-signed veteran Mike Iupati, their starting left guard last season until a neck injury into the playoffs. They also have Jordan Simmons and 2019 draft pick Phil Haynes returning from season-ending injuries in 2019.
This story was originally published July 27, 2020 at 2:09 PM.
