Roughly half of the teams in the NFL have had statements released through the NFLPA stating their players will not be participating in the voluntary offseason workout program.
The Patriots released a similar statement, but theirs said "many" players would not be participating, not all.
Phase 1 got underway on Monday and according to ESPN's Mike Reiss, Cam Newton was among those in attendance. It is worth noting he has a $100,000 bonus tied into attending the voluntary offseason workout program.
As Reiss notes, Phase 1 of the program includes virtual meetings for up to two hours a day with facilities and weight rooms open with capacity limits.
Here is the Patriots' players statement that was released last week.
"In solidarity with other players across the NFL and in interest of our health and safety, many of us at the New England Patriots will be exercising our right not to attend voluntary workouts this offseason," it reads. "The NFL has yet to agree on the full details of a plan for players despite the fact we are a few short days away from the start of voluntary workouts. The threat of COVID-19 is still serious in are community and across the country, and we think it is safer for everyone if we choose to workout on our own. While we understand that some players will need to go for various reasons and some safety measures have been put in place, we know that NFL players have a choice which our union bargained for.
"We saw the heath and safety benefits that a fully virtual offseason had on our fellow players last year. As experienced professionals who love the game, we know how to prepare our minds and bodies for a NFL season and look forward to working hard in pursuit of a Super Bowl this coming season."
