Is Jets QB Joe Flacco vaccinated?
Joe Flacco became the latest quarterback to be questioned about his vaccination status. As is the norm, one expects quarterbacks to be leaders in their teams, so it is not a surprise that Joe Flacco was also asked about it once he had been confirmed as the starting quarterback for the New York Jets in their next game.
The #Jets will start Joe Flacco this week vs. the #Dolphins, source confirms as @RichCimini said. With Zach Wilson not 100% the belief is Flacco’s experience gives NYJ the best chance to win vs Miami’s complex D.
Joe Flacco walked into the conference room to talk to the press, and he had already given the assembled corps an idea of his vaccination status by his choice of paraphernelia, and inevitably the question followed.
Joe Flacco confirms his vaccination status
The moment Joe Flacco walked into the press conference wearing a mask, people had a strong suspicion that he was unvaccinated. Unless he was choosing to do so voluntarily, he had no reason to wear the mask if he were vaccinated.
Once he was asked about it, he confirmed that he is not vaccinated. He went on to say,
“I’m not vaccinated... Honestly would probably like to talk about this topic more than anybody, it’s one of those things you debate with all the time but overall I’ve felt like it’s more of a distraction than anything. I feel like to talk about it too much and give y’all my beliefs is more of a distraction than anything. I think the most important thing is going to play a football game."
Joe Flacco did confirm that he was unvaccinated but did not elaborate on the reasons for his decision. He may have seen the blowback Aaron Rodgers received for his clarification on his own vaccine stance and may have decided it is better to keep mum.
Another point that came to the limelight during the session was where he confirmed that he was unvaccinated and was not wearing a mask when he met the media for the first time as a Jets player. That immediately raises the question of whether he would be considered in breach of NFL protocols and accordingly fined.
Here’s Joe Flacco on Oct. 29th doing a press conference with reporters without a mask. twitter.com/djbienaime/sta… https://t.co/XKsQh8uJBa
But Joe Flacco has not been so combative on this issue so far and has gone on record saying that he will do whatever it takes to keep playing football in the NFL. His exact words were,
“Whether you believe it or not, it is what it is. So if you want to go out there and play the game you love, you have to do what you have to do.”
Thus he is open to changing his status on masks and vaccinations, but only if there are stricter mandates that will stop him from playing in the NFL if he is unvaccinated. That possibility, though, remains unlikely.