CB Kareem Jackson: NFL Shouldn't Play Games Until it's 'Completely, 100% Safe'

Every football fan is salivating at the possibility of a 2020 NFL season. A season in any capacity. Fans or no fans, a Pro Bowl or no Pro Bowl, a 16-game season or a 10-game season... whatever the case, a football season would be nice to have considering the diminishing likelihood that other sports will start on time, continue at some point in the near future, or resume at all.

But health is paramount for the players, the coaches, the officials and for everyone involved, and at least one player isn't willing to take the risk of rushing to action if it's not a scenario that promises safety.

Kareem Jackson: "I just think for us, it doesn't make sense to play games until it's completely, 100% safe for us to go out there."

Jackson played the 2019 season in Denver after spending nine years as the everyday cornerback for the Texans. He's one of the more tested and experienced players in the NFL given his durability, continual starting status and double-digit tenure in the league. His words shouldn't be taken lightly.

Jackson advised the coaching staff to keep OTAs virtual for the time being, as he "feels they've been productive and have been going smoothly." No need to risk anything now, at least for Jackson, who was joined by quarterback Drew Lock in the Zoom interview.

It doesn't seem that the league is in a rush to bring back football action under the current circumstances. Widespread testing has widely been cited as one of the necessary aspects of a return to some form of normalcy and of allowing players to take the field once again, but even in those circumstances, analysts like Peter King still fear the worst. King hinted that it would be a "very imperfect year" and that he thinks "something bad is going to happen to a team that nobody expects." It's these hypotheticals that Jackson would like to ignore by leaving even a 1% chance of risk out of the equation.

The NFL schedule will be released Thursday night, but will apparently feature many contingencies in order to allow flexibility in this unprecedented time. And if, by the time September rolls around, things aren't better, Jackson and other like-minded players may not be willing to play with even a hint of uncertainty surrounding the season.