As COVID-19 vaccine distribution continues to roll out in the United States, sports organizations are actively trying to get players and coaches to get vaccinated to prevent worse-case scenarios. Teams are also bringing in medical professionals to inform players about receiving the vaccine.
Washington Football Team head coach Ron Rivera said the team took this route in terms of giving players more information about the vaccine. However, defensive end Montez Sweat says he does not plan to get the shot, saying he “needs more facts” about it, per a transcript of a media availability provided by Sam Fortier of The Washington Post.
“I’m not a fan of it,” Sweat said when asked what he made of the team bringing in vaccine experts to encourage players to get the shot. “I probably won’t get vaccinated until I get more facts and all that type stuff. I’m not a fan of it at all.
“I haven’t caught COVID yet,” Sweat explained. “I don’t see me treating COVID until I actually get COVID.”
Sweat said the coaching staff wants everybody to be vaccinated.
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“Obviously, they want everybody to be vaccinated to move more freely around the facility and with traveling and all that type of stuff,” he said. But everybody has their own beliefs, and they’re entitled to their own decision.”
Sweat says there has been “constant conversation” among his teammates about getting vaccinated.
“We talk about it all the time amongst my peers and that type of stuff,” he said. “A lot of stuff is going on today. It’s a constant conversation that we always talking about.”
As expected, social media went nuts:
Sweat has started all 32 games of his career, and combined for 95 tackles (20 for loss), 16 sacks, eight pass breakups and four forced fumbles over the first two seasons of his NFL career.
