The 4 p.m. ET deadline on Thursday has passed, meaning unless players qualify for an exemption, no more NFL players are allowed to opt out of the 2020 season due to concerns from COVID-19. In total, the Detroit Lions had three players decide to forego the upcoming season: defensive tackle John Atkins, wide receiver Geronimo Allison and center Russell Bodine.
While none of those players are necessarily big-time impacts on the Lions roster, it’s not fair to say their absence won’t be felt at all. So here’s a rundown of how each opt out affects Detroit’s 2020 season.