INDIANAPOLIS — A group of 15 wide receivers stepped up to the stage, the one erected inside the Indianapolis Convention Center just for this week’s NFL scouting combine, where prospects are tasked with bench-pressing 225 pounds as many reps as possible.
It’s a favorite event during combine week, even if the lift doesn’t give a complete picture of a prospect’s overall strength. But this year feels a little different.
One by one, the receivers stepped up to a microphone and spoke a message to the assembled scouts and coaches:
“I won’t be benching by choice.