Philadelphia Eagles WR opts out of 2020 NFL season due to COVID-19 concerns
By Smit Bajaj
Philadelphia Eagles WR Marquise Goodwin will not play this upcoming season.
The Philadelphia Eagles most recent training camp started today, but this team will be missing a key piece to the puzzle come the regular season. Marquise Goodwin, the newly acquired wide receiver from the San Francisco 49ers, has informed the Eagles that he will not be participating in the 2020 NFL season due to COVID-19 concerns.
He has a 5-month-old daughter and has made it clear that he does not want to jeopardize the health of anyone in his family. That’s totally understandable.
It’s hard to blame Goodwin for this decision. At the end of the day, playing football is just a job for these athletes, and looking out for their families is priority number one. He’s still under contract for the 2021 season and should be ready to rejoin the team come next season.
Goodwin is one of the many NFL players that have opted out of the 2020 NFL season, and the concern for how the NFL will look after their players’ safety is only rising. It will also be interesting to see how the NFL manages this situation moving forward. It’s unfortunate, and even with that being the case, there’s a real chance that Goodwin won’t be the only member of the Philadelphia Eagles who opts out of the 2020 NFL season.
Who steps up to replace Goodwin on the Philadelphia Eagles’ roster?
As one door closes, another one opens. History suggests that the Philadelphia Eagles will carry at least six wide receivers on the roster to start the year and without Goodwin, an opportunity arises.
Rookie wide receiver Quez Watkins has a similar skillset and is a favorite to take over in what was believed to be the seven-year veteran’s roster spot. Watkins ran a blazing 4.36-second 40-yard dash and has impressive agility to complement his speed.
DeSean Jackson, Jalen Reagor, and JJ Arcega Whiteside are all locks to make the roster which leaves room for roughly three wide receivers. With Alshon Jeffery likely to start the season on the PUP (physically unable to perform) list, Greg Ward, John Hightower, and Quez Watkins should even out that group and give the Philadelphia Eagles six quality wide receivers.
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It would have been fun to see Marquise Goodwin catch passes from Carson Wentz, but the decision to sit out is well understood. Let’s just hope that Goodwin is fresh and ready to use his speed to terrorize defenses in 2021.