Earlier this week, Mike Tomlin said the Steelers were at the top of the NFL's list when it comes to COVID-19 vaccinated players.
"Participation has been awesome. From what I understand, we’re doing really well relative to the rest of our peers," Tomlin said. "We’ll just continue to work in that area and hopefully it’s a winning edge for us as we proceed.”
A report earlier this week said half of the league's teams have 51 or more players vaccinated. That might sound like a lot until you consider there are 90 players on each roster. With that in mind, it's not so great.
The league, apparently, is done messing around. While the NFL can't mandate that its players get vaccinated, it can push them in that direction. Wednesday, the league announced a plan that's more of a shove than a gentle push. With minicamps wrapping up across the league, the NFL and NFLPA announced joint measures for the 2021 season that will make things very difficult on non-vaccinated players.
They won't be permitted to be in the team facility without a mask. They must submit to daily testing. They won't be permitted to be in close contact with fellow players off the field. They essentially must still adhere to pre-COVID vaccine policies, including not being permitted to leave the team hotel or even visit with family during road games.
Oh, and they can be fined as much as a full game check or up to $50,000 if they are found to be breaking protocol -- i.e. going out to nightclubs, restaurants, etc.
It's not quite Draconian, but it's a pretty stiff reality check for the unvaccinated.
But the NFL wants its teams 85 percent vaccinated or higher by training camp. And that makes sense. After all, having players who can't attend meetings and others who can is a pain for coaching staffs. And having a key player have to go into protocol because he's been in contact with someone who tests positive -- even if they don't themselves -- can rob a team of players.
At this point, players should want to get vaccinated, anyway. After all, if you're fighting for a roster spot and it's close and one of you is vaccinated and the other is not, the decision might come down to that.
It sounds harsh, but it's the reality. We've already seen a major golf tournament and the NBA playoffs affected by competitors who have been forced to the sideline because they didn't get vaccinated. The NFL doesn't want that happening to its teams in 2021.
The NFL isn't mandating its players get vaccinated, but the rules in place have the same effect.
YOUR TURN: Is the NFL within its rights to essentially force players to get vaccinated?
