NFL assistant coaches from at least four teams are risking losing direct access to players and the practice field over their refusal to take a COVID-19 vaccine, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports.
The league cannot force coaches to take the vaccine, but they can and will make it very hard for them to continue doing their jobs while unvaccinated.
Pelissero reports that if said coaches do not either receive the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine or the first dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine by the end of next week, they would lose their Tier 1 status. That grants coaches the ability to coach from the field and be in meeting rooms with their players.
The only out for coaches is “if they provide a valid medical or religious reason.”
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Players are not subject to the same tiers and restrictions and aren’t required to be vaccinated.
