Eagles' Darius Slay Says He Initially Thought NFL Shouldn't Play amid COVID-19

Darius Slay did not believe there should have been a 2020 NFL season before he learned about the NFL's safety protocols.

The Philadelphia Eagles star cornerback told reporters on Wednesday that he thought the COVID-19 pandemic should have canceled the campaign:

However, Slay noted that he isn't fearful and will continue doing his job, later explaining that he became more comfortable once he learned about the NFL's safety protocols and feels safe with the team:

His remarks come in the wake of two NFL games being rescheduled in the past week because of players testing positive for the coronavirus, including star players like Cam Newton and Stephon Gilmore in New England.

The Tennessee Titans had recorded 10 positive tests among players and 10 among staff members as of Sunday, according to Erik Bacharach of the Tennessean. Another two Tennessee players and staff tested positive on Tuesday, per ESPN's Dan Graziano, putting this week's matchup with the Buffalo Bills in doubt.

In agreement with the NFLPA, the NFL implemented an extensive safety plan which includes daily testing for players and essential staff and weekly testing for other staff, contact tracing in the event of a positive test, a protocol for closing team facilities after positive tests and requiring masks at facilities and when on the sidelines, among many other regulations.

A range of financial punishments has been put to use for players, coaches and teams who have violated protocols, and Commissioner Roger Goodell sent a memo to teams Tuesday expanding those punishments to include possible forfeiture of games.

Across the United States, there have been 7.5 million recorded cases of COVID-19 and 211,492 deaths, per CNN.