Primetime’s time is done at NFL Network. Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders has left NFL Network, per John Ourand. Sanders’ contract has expired and he has chosen to leave.
In his final moments at NFL Network, Deion Sanders did not hesitate to share his opinion on players who opted out of the 2020 NFL Season. Deion Sanders took to twitter a couple of days ago to say this to all of the players who have decided to opt out:
All Players OPTING out in all sports PLEASE BELIEVE the game will go on without u. This is a business & don’t u EVER forget that. There’s NO ONE that’s bigger than the game itself. Only the ref,umps & officials are that important that u can’t play without them. NOT YOU! #Truth
You can have your own opinion on what Sanders said here, my opinion is he’s right to an extent and he is being insensitive to people who considered a greater picture. To his point that the game will go on with a few players opting out, yes the game will go on. The quality may dip depending on who opted out. If a starting offensive linemen opts out, the quarterback of that respective team needs to make a mental note of that and realize that his protection won’t be same as it has always been. Yet if Patrick Mahomes opted out, the game would be greatly affected. If old greats like Drew Brees and Tom Brady opt out, that would create major waves. However if a 3rd or 4th string rookie opts out, chances are he may not be missed that greatly. On the flip side, if hundreds of player opt out, then the game can’t go on. It is impossible to play a sport without players.
The NFL is a business but a player’s life and the lives of their loved ones take priority over the game. A newborn child takes priority over football, older parents who may live with a player take priority over football. Players are so much more than NFL players, they are human beings who have multiple sides to consider. I’ve been on the record saying that Kansas City Chiefs offensive linemen Laurent Duvernay-Tardif is a hero for opting out. While the game may go on without him, the quality of the game will decrease. The extent and how drastic that decrease is remains to be seen.
It appears that Deion Sanders has chosen to leave NFL Network. It is unknown if any talk behind the scenes was involved. If there was behind the scenes talk, his take on players opting out could be the reason.
