NFL says coronavirus outbreaks among unvaccinated players may lead to forfeits this season https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/22/sport/nfl-covid-forfeit-vaccine/index.html If a National Football League game cannot be rescheduled and is canceled due to a Covid-19 outbreak among unvaccinated players, that team will have to forfeit and will be credited with a loss, the NFL said in a league-wide memo obtained by CNN. The new rule makes being unvaccinated a competitive disadvantage this year, all part of the league's push to get players and staff inoculated ahead of the coming season. The NFL has said that any team that vaccinates 85% of its players and staff can relax their safety protocols and has applied looser rules to vaccinated players. "If a game cannot be rescheduled within the current 18-week schedule and is cancelled due to a Covid outbreak among non-vaccinated players on one of the competing teams, the club with the outbreak will forfeit the contest and will be deemed to have played 16 games for purposes of draft, waiver priority, etc. For the purposes of playoff seeding, the forfeiting team will be credited with a loss and the other team will be credited with a win," the NFL memo sent Thursday states. In addition, if a game is postponed and cannot be rescheduled, players from both teams will not receive their scheduled salary. The memo states the team with the outbreak will be responsible for any additional expenses incurred by the opposing team. Other sports leagues have taken a similar tack to encourage vaccinations. In college football, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey issued a warning on Monday that games will not be postponed due to coronavirus issues, ESPN reported. Last season, the NFL postponed a series of games due to several Covid-19 outbreaks within teams. The NFL ultimately held every planned regular season and playoff game, but the preseason and the Pro Bowl were canceled. The NFL's new rules are likely to cause issues with players who remain hesitant about getting vaccinated. Some began responding on social media Thursday. Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins tweeted and then deleted his negative reaction to the rules. "Never thought I would say this, But being put in a position to hurt my team because I don't want to partake in the vaccine is making me question my future in the NFL," he wrote. "The NFL is pressuring/ 'influencing' guys to get the vaccine. They are saying if there is an outbreak, the team will be penalized heavily," Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey said on Twitter. "My point is no teammate of mine will feel that pressure from me because whether you are vaccinated or not, there is still a chance of getting covid." DJ Reader, Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle, tweeted, "Talk about getting your hand forced smh." What the memo says The NFL's four-page memo is broken down into sections on medical principles, competitive principles and financial principles. The competitive section says that the league does not anticipate adding an extra week to the season to accommodate games that are rescheduled. The memo also differentiates between outbreaks among unvaccinated and vaccinated people and indicates an outbreak among unvaccinated people will be seen less favorably. "If a game is cancelled/postponed because a club cannot play due to a Covid spike among or resulting from its non-vaccinated players/staff, then the burden of the cancellation or delay will fall on the club experiencing the Covid infection. We will seek to minimize the burden on the opposing club or clubs. If a club cannot play due to a Covid spike in vaccinated individuals, we will attempt to minimize the competitive and economic burden on both participating teams. With teams starting to report for training camp, the NFL saw an increase in Covid-19 vaccination rates around the league this week, with 14 of the of the 32 NFL teams having reached the above 85% threshold, the league told CNN. The NFL also reported that 78% of players around the league have received at least one vaccine, an increase of over 4 percent from last week. All teams around the league are now above the 50% vaccine threshold, the league said, after previously having two teams last week with less than half of their players vaccinated.
Within College athletes -- universities are no longer putting up with unvaccinated players on their teams. They are being dismissed from their teams or being forced to transfer to the very few colleges which will accept them. No Division 1 program wants to be the next N.C. State baseball team equivalent at their playoffs -- where unvaccinated players take down an entire team and their chance of winning a title. Boston College helped with transfer after Eagles football player declined COVID-19 vaccine https://www.espn.com/college-footba...vid-19-vaccine-boston-college-helped-transfer
First off we must acknowledge that for the NFL this is about the money, not player heath. That is indisputable. However, given that this is a close contact sport and many of the players, while young and fit, also fall into the obese category and aren't necessarily heathy, which is problematic for those individuals. Just because a couple players test positive doesn't mean the entire team should be prevented from playing the game. Test them all on game day and those that test positive are benched. If the team has enough non covid positive guys to man the field, then the game should go on IMO.
The NFL's new vaccine guidance could have 'massive implications' https://theweek.com/nfl/1002926/the-nfls-new-vaccine-guidance-could-have-massive-implications
Welcome to the NFL -- No jab, no job... Vikings Coach Refuses COVID Vaccine ... Loses Job https://www.tmz.com/2021/07/23/rick-dennison-minnesota-vikings-coach-covid-vaccine/ New England Patriots part ways with coach reportedly over COVID-19 vaccine https://www.wcvb.com/article/new-england-patriots-cole-popovich-part-ways-covid-19-vaccine/37116359# NFL will fine unvaccinated players $14,650 for violating COVID protocols https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...-players-14650-for-violating-covid-protocols/
yet the players are not required to get vaxxed.. So the NFL is filled with hypocrites... you are going to fire coaches and staff who can stay socially distant but players who bang into each and sweat on each other DON'T have to be vaccinate.... I believe the employees who were fired have a really good lawsuit. Coach does not want to be vaxxed... fired... not given a choice to wear a mask or socially distant. Player does not want to be vaxxed... ok you can play and sweat over people but better wear a mask and socially distance. A lawyer can walk that into court and get the NFL to pay millions quite easily..
Are These WingDings out of Quarantine Yet? NO? Aint that a shame, HA HAAAAAAAaaaaa. They don't look too Skeert, lol. Lucky they had been injected. Wha...?
All comes down to the players union. Looks like they will get the point to unvaccinated players by fining them big money for the slightest infraction. Basically make their lives hell until they get vaccinated.
Oh, it goes deeper than that. Did you catch that little bit that in a forfeited game, all players on both sides will not get paid? Including the vaccinated ones? Oh yeah, that is going to motivate the vaxed players to put some serious pressures on the un-vaxed to get their shit together, because...