Ravens' De'Anthony Thomas, Patriots' Danny Vitale Opt Out of 2020 NFL Season

Baltimore Ravens return specialist De'Anthony Thomas and New England Patriots fullback Danny Vitale have opted out of the 2020 NFL season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Monday, Baltimore announced Thomas' decision in a list of transactions, and Steinberg Sports & Entertainment confirmed Vitale's decision to ESPN's Mike Reiss on Monday.

Thomas made eight appearances for Baltimore in 2019. He returned 13 punts for 93 yards and 10 kickoffs for 166 yards.

Vitale, meanwhile, was getting ready to enter his first season in New England. He had signed a one-year deal with the Patriots in March. Reiss reported the contract was worth $1.3 million, though only $100,000 was guaranteed.

The fullback has 15 career receptions for 145 yards through four NFL seasons, splitting time between the Cleveland Browns and the Green Bay Packers.

The NFL and NFL Players Association reached an agreement on amendments to the collective bargaining agreement in the wake of the pandemic.

Those who voluntarily opt out such as Thomas will receive $150,000 as an advance, and the 2020 season won't count for salary purposes. Thomas signed a one-year, $935,000 contract with the Ravens, which will now carry over to 2021.

Kansas City Chiefs offensive guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif was the first NFL player to opt out of the upcoming season.

The NFL canceled all four preseason games because of the pandemic, but the regular season is still on track to begin Sept. 10 when the Chiefs host the Houston Texans.

Like MLB, the NFL will stage games in each team's home stadium rather than creating a "bubble" like the NBA, WNBA, MLS and NWSL have. The viability of that approach came under further scrutiny Monday after ESPN's Jeff Passan reported 11 Miami Marlins players and two coaches have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher David Price, who opted out of the season, offered his opinion on the matter:

ESPN's Kevin Seifert spoke to NFL chief medical officer Allen Sills following the news about the Marlins.

Sills said the league isn't yet planning to have teams stationed in isolated locations and is instead operating under a "virtual football bubble" in which players will be responsible for following protocols and taking precautions when away from team facilities.