The new COVID protocol represents a throwing of the towel by the NFL and the NFL Players Association when it comes to the migration of the mutated virus through the vaccinated players, coaches, and staff. One key group could end up at an enhanced degree of risk.
The unvaccinated, such as Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, will find themselves in facilities where most of the regular safeguards as to the introduction of COVID-19 by vaccinated players, coaches, and staff will be eliminated — especially if people will be concealing symptoms in order to ensure that they’ll be allowed to play or to coach. And the unvaccinated need to realize that this will be the case, and they need to take extra precautions to keep themselves from catching the virus.
The unvaccinated players will continue to be tested on a daily basis, so they’ll know if they have it. But they’re now more likely to get it from a vaccinated colleague.
Will that be enough to get them to choose to be vaccinated? Probably not. Which means that, at a time when the chances of vaccinated players suddenly testing positive will be minimized, the chances of unvaccinated players ending up on COVID-19 reserve will potentially go up. It definitely won’t go down.
The good news, if there is any, is that many unvaccinated player have gotten COVID and entered the 90-day testing holiday. Those who haven’t had it, however, will have a greater chance to get it.