The Washington Football Team has six players on the reserve/COVID-19 list
It prompted Head coach Ron Rivera to issue a warning to his team, because if this had happened before their Week 1 opener, none of those players would be eligible to play in Week 1.
“Those guys would not be eligible, so, to me, it brings the reality of what the rules are, and I hope it helps,” Rivera told reporters. “But these young men have to make their decisions.”
As of right now, Washington ranks second to last in team vaccination rate with just over 70% of players having at least one shot.
Rivera said that he’s helped some players set up vaccine appointments for Washington’s off day on Sunday.
“There is some deep thought going on from some of these guys,” Rivera said. “It’s a matter of these guys being educated and understanding, because it’s fair when you sit down and talk to these guys and listen to them and listen to their true concerns. Some guys just don’t know, and I’ve gotten a sense that there are a few who are dug in so hard, so much that they’re not going to back down. That’s the part to me that’s concerning because I care about all these guys. You do worry that somebody might catch it and go home and pass it on to a family member.”
Rivera told reporters earlier in the week he was “beyond frustrated” with his team’s low vaccination rate.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NFL stories via Google! Follow Us
“I think just making the statement that I’m immune deficient hopefully is part of their conversation, part of their thought process,” he said. “It’s a personal thing, but we can sway them hopefully.”
It was just last week when the NFL sent out a memo stating that 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.”
The forfeiting team would be given a loss and could potentially face further discipline from commissioner Roger Goodell, “particularly if the COVID outbreak is reasonably determined to be the result of a failure by club personnel to follow applicable protocols.”
