5 NFL players who have publicly opposed the COVID vaccination protocol
The NFL’s COVID vaccination protocol has been a statistical success and has provided endless fodder for the media from a public relations perspective. According to the AP, 94.1% of players are vaccinated, while 100% of team and league personnel are vaccinated.
The reported vaccination rate for the league is above 94% siouxcityjournal.com/ap/sports/rodg…
But it’s the other 5.9% that make the loudest noise. The NFL’s COVID protocol imposes stiffer penalties and longer quarantine time before returning to the team and team facilities. Regardless, the policy that heavily incentivizes players to vaccinate has not sat well with all NFL players. Some have spoken out publicly via the media or on their Twitter accounts.
The following lists 5 NFL players who made waves by speaking out against the NFL’s COVID protocol.
NFL players who refused to get vaccinated
#5 - Cole Beasley, WR, Buffalo Bills
Cole Beasley has been a household name. But after his comments regarding the NFL’s COVID protocol, he was the voice of the players who opposed the protocol. In a tweet, he wrote:
“Everyone — Hi, I’m Cole Beasley and I’m not vaccinated! I will be outside doing what I do. I’ll be out in the public. If your scared of me then steer clear, or get vaccinated. Point. Blank. Period. I may die of covid, but I’d rather die actually living.”
Whether he likes it or not, Beasley will forever be linked to this small piece of NFL history. He recently deleted his Twitter account so he may find a different sort of freedom, one away from the noise of social media.
#4 - Montez Sweat, DE, Washington Football Team
In June, the Football Team brought in an immunologist who helped create the Moderna vaccine to come to speak to the team and address any questions or concerns they might have about the COVID-19 vaccine. Despite her credentials and expertise on the matter, Montez Sweat was still skeptical:
"I'm not a fan of it," Sweat said [. . .] of the vaccine. "I probably won't get vaccinated until I get more facts and that stuff. I'm not a fan of it at all.”