The NFL and its fans never saw a season like the 2020 campaign.

No one ever hopes to again.

And now three NFL players lost their jobs over this protest.

On Monday, the Las Vegas Raiders waived three players linebacker Ukeme Eligwe, defensive end Jeremiah Valoaga, and cornerback D.J. Killings.

None of these moves were of the blockbuster variety and few would have noticed the Raiders moving on them except for the fact that all three had one thing in common.

And that’s the fact that Killings, Eligwe, and Valoaga opted out of the 2020 season because of the Coronavirus.

Head Coach Jon Gruden may have been sending a message that everyone else on the team who stuck it out through the season and the pandemic may not have appreciated guys that took a year off waltzing back in while the other members of the 53 man roster sacrificed their free time and their personal lives to comply with the league’s COVID protocols.

The NFL was the one sport in 2020 to play a full regular season and playoffs and not miss one game.

Players on the Raiders and the other 31 franchises gave up much of the privilege of being pro athletes and sometimes didn’t even see their families so they could play a full 16 game season and playoffs.

Football teams always like to portray the culture around their franchise as a family or a brotherhood.

Sports with Balls will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this ongoing story.

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