Rookie the first Carolina Panther to opt out of 2020 season during COVID-19 pandemic
Jordan Mack, who signed with the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent, has decided to opt out of the 2020 NFL football season due to COVID-19, the team announced Tuesday.
Mack, a rookie linebacker, is the first known Panthers player who will bypass the season.
His agent, Adam Seifer, told The Observer that Mack made an informed decision Monday evening and that he took the team and his teammates into account, not wanting to not be there fully for them. Based on everything that is going on and his mindset, Mack felt it was the best decision for him and his family to step away from football for now. “We fully support his decision,” Seifer said.
Players have until Aug. 3 to declare whether they want to play in 2020. Drafted players, or players who played in 2019, are eligible for a $150,000 stipend that will be treated as a salary advance . Players considered at a higher risk for the virus are eligible to receive $350,000, which is not treated as a salary advance.
Because Mack is an undrafted rookie, he is not eligible for a stipend after opting out. If he chooses to play in 2021, the Panthers still hold his rights.
Tuesday marked the start of Carolina’s training camp. Veterans arrived to the facility and were tested for COVID-19. The players need three negative tests to be let into Bank of America Stadium. Rookies, injured players and quarterbacks had already arrived and some have already entered the facility.
Mack played four years at Virginia, where he made 289 career tackles, 14.5 sacks, 25.5 tackles for loss and six forced fumbles. It would have likely been an uphill battle for Mack to make the Panthers’ 53-man roster as an undrafted rookie, with no preseason games. But he would have at least provided competition for other linebackers trying to make the roster.
In college former UVA linebacker received the Jim Tatum Award, given to the ACC’s top senior student-athlete, and was a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, given to the college football player with the best combination of academics, community service, and on-field performance.
The Panthers are one of a number of teams that have had players opt out of the season for a variety of reasons, including to protect their families or for medical reasons. The Patriots have had the most in the league so far, with six players saying they’ll skip 2020.
Alaina Getzenberg assisted in the reporting for this story.
This story was originally published July 28, 2020 at 5:09 PM.
