Former Safety Dr. Myron Rolle: NFL Should Delay or Cancel Season Due to COVID-19

Dr. Myron Rolle, who starred collegiately at Florida State University before spending time with the Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers as a safety, doesn't believe the NFL should move forward with its season as presently scheduled.

During an appearance on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 (h/t CNN's Hollie Silverman), Rolle gave his thoughts on what steps the NFL should take during the coronavirus pandemic: "I do not think it's safe to return right now. I think the NFL should delay the sport or cancel it this year to allow the wonderful women and men on the front lines to really get ahead of this pandemic and make it safe for everyone to come back to the sport."

NFL players reported to training camp this week, and the league is still planning to open the 2020 regular season Sept. 10 with the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Houston Texans.

The 33-year-old Rolle was on the Titans' roster in 2010 and 2011, and he spent a short amount of time with the Steelers in 2012. Following his release from Pittsburgh, Rolle attended the Florida State University College of Medicine and became a neurosurgeon resident.

Rolle pointed to the fact that there are still certain areas in the United States with high rates of COVID-19 infections as a reason for why the NFL shouldn't start its season in time: "When you have states that are hot beds and players coming from these places, I think it's very difficult to sort of say, 'I want to social distance,' in a sport that's inherently close. There is a need to be cohesive in the locker room and in the huddle and walk-throughs close together. It's very difficult."

He also called for the NFL to "be a leader at the forefront and put the players' safety and their families' safety as a premium."

The NFL offseason has been impacted significantly by COVID-19, as no in-person OTAs were held, which means teams are well behind in terms of preparation than they normally would be at this point.

Also, the NFL has canceled all preseason games, meaning the first game action players will experience in 2020 is Week 1 of the regular season.

While the vast majority of players have reported to training camp and intend to play in 2020, many have exercised the right to opt out because of concerns related to COVID-19.

Among the most notable players who have opted out thus far are Chicago Bears defensive tackle Eddie Goldman, Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Star Lotulelei, Green Bay Packers wide receiver Devin Funchess, Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Marquise Goodwin and six members of the New England Patriots, including linebacker Dont'a Hightower, safety Patrick Chung and offensive tackle Marcus Cannon.

It remains unclear if any or all NFL teams will be allowed to have their stadiums at least partially full during the 2020 NFL season, but it remains clear that the NFL intends to start in September as scheduled.