The NFL Players Association called the league gutless for using an offseason injury to encourage players to attend voluntary workouts.
According to ESPN, a portion of an email from NFLPA officials to players addressed Denver Broncos tackle Ja’Wuan James’ recent Achilles tendon injury. James, who has a $10 million salary guarantee for the upcoming season, was named in an NFL memo Tuesday stating that the league’s “ ‘Non-Football Injuries’ designation that teams like the Broncos would have ‘no contractual obligation’ to pay players like James their salaries if they were injured away from the team facilities.”
The memo went on to say that a player’s salary would be paid if their injury had been suffered at the team’s complex, noting that, “Clubs are encouraged to remind players of the significant injury-related protection provided if they choose to work out at the club facility and the risks they undertake in choosing to train at a non-NFL location.”
The NFLPA’s Thursday response said, “This memo is another sign of what they think of you and also affirms that they simply want to control you year-round in any and every way that they can.
“We have been in touch with Ja’Wuan James. Despite an open threat of an ‘NFI’ designation. Ja’Wuan was working out to stay in shape under a program recommended to him by his coach.”
The Broncos are among the teams that have had players say they will boycott voluntary workouts during the offseason. James is among the players who have been in the facility at times. He opted out of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
