Advertisement

Marquise Goodwin slams fans who are upset after he opted out of season over COVID-19 concerns

Ryan Young
·Staff writer
Updated ·2-min read

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Marquise Goodwin announced Tuesday that he will not play this season due to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic, making him one of several players across the league to do so.

Since then, he said, he’s had plenty of “concerned” fans in his mentions attempting to shame him for that decision and claiming that the coronavirus isn’t serious.

Goodwin hit back Wednesday afternoon.

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Marquise Goodwin
Marquise Goodwin won't play this season due to concerns over the coronavirus. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

‘There are 150K dead people that would argue different’

Goodwin stood by his decision in a tweet Wednesday, and slammed those who aren’t taking the pandemic seriously in the process.

There were more than 4.3 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the U.S. as of Wednesday afternoon, according to The New York Times, and more than 150,000 deaths attributed to it. The country has reported more than 65,000 new cases each day over the past week, and more than 1,100 deaths each day, too.

[ Coronavirus: How the sports world is responding to the pandemic ]

Goodwin racked up 186 yards and had one touchdown in nine games last season for the San Francisco 49ers. He was placed on injured reserve in December while dealing with knee and foot injuries. The Eagles scooped him up in a trade in April.

Goodwin, who was set to enter his eighth season in the league, explained his reasoning for opting out in a video on Tuesday. The death of his daughter in 2017 and the loss of twin boys the following year during a pregnancy complication, he said, were driving factors in his decision.

“After choosing football so many times, I feel like I’m inclined to make the right decision by finally choosing my family first,” he said. “It’s known that the NFL is implementing safety protocols to combat COVID pandemic as well as other professional sporting leagues.

“I won’t take the chance of experiencing another loss because of my selfish decision-making. I can’t do it. It’s not something I’m willing to live with, therefore I’ve chosen to opt out for playing only for this season, or until medical professionals across the world all agree that the world is a safe environment for everyone, and not just NFL players.”

More from Yahoo Sports: