DeAndre Hopkins, Matthew Judon, and other NFL stars recently expressed their discontent with the NFL basically requiring vaccines.
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The pandemic is still raging on the US, and with the NFL set to host games at full capacity next year, they want to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
While the NFL can’t control fans and external forces, they can control their teams and players. Therefore, they released a memo dictating what could happen if players don’t vaccinate themselves.
Last year, the NFL repeatedly had to reschedule games due to Covid outbreaks within teams, but this is something they won’t be doing this year. As a result, the team responsible for the Covid outbreak may have to forfeit the game entirely.
The NFL just informed clubs that if a game cannot be rescheduled during the 18-week season in 2021 due to a COVID outbreak among unvaccinated players, the team with the outbreak will FORFEIT and be credited with a loss for playoff seeding, per sources.
Massive implications.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 22, 2021
As you might expect, not everyone was happy with this rule.
DeAndre Hopkins Twitter, Matthew Judon, & Leonard Fournette Speak Out Against NFL Covid Vaccine Policy
Earlier in the offseason, we had seen that Buffalo Bills wide receiver had publicly announced that he would not be one of the people taking the Covid vaccine, taking his chances with the disease instead.
His reasoning? Freedom. He believes he knows what is best for his body, and he wants to take actions on it based on his beliefs, and his belief is that the vaccine isn’t worth it.
Public Service Announcement pic.twitter.com/XjQicdvnKm
— Cole Beasley (@Bease11) June 18, 2021
Pressure from all over has been pushing teams to get their players vaccinated with most franchises now being over the 75% threshold.
However, the vaccine was never a requirement until now (well, technically it isn’t, but unless you want to run the risk of losing games with no chance of competing, you must take the vaccine) which has made several NFL stars furious.
DeAndre Hopkins has even questioned his future in the league, thinking about retiring.
DeAndre Hopkins deleted a tweet “questioning [his] future” in the NFL after the league announced any team with a COVID outbreak due to unvaccinated players could result in a forfeit pic.twitter.com/PsOeCWQy4u
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 22, 2021
Matthew Judon and Leonard Fournette were among other players who spoke out against the NFLPA’s decision.
The NFLPA Fucking sucks
— Matthew Judon (@man_dammn) July 22, 2021
Add #Bucs RB Leonard Fournette to the list of players against getting the COVID-19 vaccine. pic.twitter.com/1IqlksESap
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) July 22, 2021
Also Read: NFL Unvaccinated Players : Which Football Players are against new NFL Vaccine Policy?