Over the span of 72 hours in late July, I had to make one of the most difficult decisions of my life: whether to opt out of the 2020 NFL season. For my first six years in the NFL, I had always balanced my love for medicine and my love for football. But now, with COVID-19 still spreading across the world, my twin passions stood in contrast. On one hand, I had a Super Bowl title to defend; on the other, a global pandemic to deal with.
As both a doc in training and a starter for a championship contender, I remained torn.