Buccaneers Players Announce They Won't Participate in Offseason Workouts

Players for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will not participate in offseason training activities this summer, according to a statement from the NFL Players' Association. 

The decision by the Super Bowl champions comes as the NFLPA continues to advocate for an all-virtual offseason—as made necessary by the pandemic last year—going so far as to consider a player boycott of minicamps if their teams do not agree. 

In their statement explaining the decision, Bucs players noted they held a fully virtual offseason last year while successfully holding each other accountable to put in the work required to win. 

Considering the Bucs ran roughshod across the league, closing the 2020 season with eight straight wins en route to a Super Bowl title, there's no reason to believe the same couldn't be true in 2021.

Tampa Bay joins players from the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos in announcing they will not participate in OTAs. 

"As voluntary in-person off-season workouts stumble upon us, we are left with yet another decision," Seahawks players said in a statement. "The NFLPA has provided us with thorough research and information regarding our safety as players as we enter voluntary workouts this year, especially the benefits on our health and safety from a virtual off-season last year."

Among the findings disclosed by NFLPA president JC Tretter, the union found a virtual offseason led to a 23 percent decrease in missed-time injuries, a 30 percent reduction in concussions and 45 percent decrease in heat-related illness.

Only one minicamp per offseason is considered mandatory, however even that was wiped off the schedule due to the pandemic last summer. Players would like things to stay that way.