Training camp may be just right around the corner, but the 2020 NFL season is very much still up in the air. The NFLPA recently made multiple key demands that could determine whether or not there's a season, as both sides try to figure out the best way to go about things considering we are still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of these key issues has to do with an opt-out clause for players who have underlying conditions or have family members with underlying conditions that could worsen should they contract the coronavirus. One player who could be considered high risk is Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews.
Andrews was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was a child, and according to the CDC, having Type 1 or gestational diabetes may increase your risk of severe illness from COVID-19. Despite this, Andrews says he will not opt out due to his health condition, and will chase a Super Bowl with the Ravens.
"We've got a big year coming up," Andrews said, via Jonas Shaffer of the Baltimore Sun. "I want to be able to do a lot of things, and ... just being able to help this team win is exciting for me."
Andrews is coming off his best season yet, as he caught 64 passes for 852 yards and 10 touchdowns in 15 games played last season. The former third-round pick earned his first Pro Bowl trip, as Baltimore finished the 2019 season with a league-best 14-2 record.
Andrews feels as though he has a handle on his diabetes, and wants to push forward and serve as a role model for children who are worried they will be held back by their disease.
"I know for me growing up, there weren't a ton of people I could really look up to who had Type 1 diabetes, especially in football," Andrews told CBS Sports in October. "There may have been some players with diabetes, but they weren't advocates. For me, I want to be able to use the NFL and use my platform to go out and show kids that have Type 1 diabetes that they can do whatever in life and whatever their dreams are, to not let diabetes affect them. That's my goal, that's something that's near and dear to my heart."
