Russell Wilson shares concerns about NFL return amid COVID-19 pandemic

Wilson and other high-profile players blitzed the NFL with tweets asking about the plan for the upcoming NFL season

5th Annual Sports Humanitarian Awards Presented By ESPN
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 09: Russell Wilson and Ciara attend the 5th annual Sports Humanitarian Awards presented by ESPN at The Novo Theater at L.A. Live on July 09, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)

Russell Wilson may be one of the most popular players in the NFL but that doesn’t mean he’s completely excited about retuning to the field.

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The Seattle Seahawks quarterback shared his concerns about returning to work on social media over the weekend and made it clear that the health of his pregnant wife, Ciara, is on the top of his priority list.

“I am concerned. My wife is pregnant. @NFL Training camp is about to start.. And there’s still No Clear Plan on Player Health & Family Safety,” he posted on Twitter. “We want to play football but we also want to protect our loved ones #WeWantToPlay.”

Wilson joined other high-profile players like Super Bowl champion Tyrann Mathieu of the Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Texas quarterback Deshaun Watson, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and his teammate Malcolm Jenkins, among others, using the hashtag #WeWantToPlay.

Like many people considering a return to work, or parents considering their children’s return to school this fall, Wilson seems frustrated with the lack of a clear plan. NFL players are scheduled to return to training camp on July 28.

They have not yet been provided with a comprehensive plan like the one the NBA developed for its athletes, who are confined to a ‘bubble’ in Orlando, Florida, where they will resume the 2020 season on July 30th.

According to what the league has shared so far, NFL players are not expected to be confined in the same way, heightening the concern for players like Wilson who have loved ones who may be adversely impacted.

Ciara, who is pregnant with the couple’s first son together, has shared her own experience with being pregnant during the pandemic, opening up in a recent interview with British Vogue about being pregnant with her third child amid all the chaos.

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 “Can babies get Covid-19 through the uterus? It’s a big mystery, and we’re some of the most vulnerable beings. Our immune systems are compromised because we can’t take medicine if we get sick in case it affects the baby. If I get ill, I have to let it pass through my body,” she told the outlet.

“I wanted to be really cautious…I had a little ziplock bag of gloves for the appointment and then I had my mask. When I went from one room to the other, I switched to a new pair of gloves. When the image of the baby came on the screen, I FaceTimed Russ in the car so that he could see.”

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