The New England Patriots already have had eight players opt out of the 2020 NFL season, and few would blame Bill Belichick -- the oldest head coach in the league at 68 -- if he made a similar decision.
So, did concerns about COVID-19 lead Belichick to consider not coaching in 2020? It doesn't appear so.
"I feel very good about the environment that we're in," Belichick said Friday in a video conference with reporters. "I feel fine."
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Belichick also confirmed no coaches on his staff have backed out of the 2020 season.
The Patriots are in the "acclimation period" of training camp, with players going through non-padded walk-throughs outside Gillette Stadium as they ramp up for their first padded practice on Aug. 17.
According to Belichick, the players and staff in the building feel confident in their safety so far.
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"I can't speak for everybody, but I think my impression is that as an organization, as a coaching staff, the support people, the players -- there's a comfort level with what we're doing and who's doing it and how we're doing it, and we're being productive," Belichick said.
"So, if concerns or problems come up, then we'll address those. But right now, I think it's a good working environment. We're getting a lot done."
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The Patriots, like every other team, have to follow rigorous safety protocols that include frequent COVID-19 tests, temperature checks and physical distancing measures. That "new normal" will take some getting used to, but Belichick believes the protocols have helped create an environment that coaches and staff feel safe in.
"The organization has taken a lot of steps to ensure everyone's safety and opportunity to do their job and do it safely and do it productively," Belichick said.
"Certainly there's a lot of responsibility on each one of us to do things in a way that doesn't affect others negatively, that we take the proper precautions that we can and should, so that's what we're doing."