Jags Deny Players Were Cut Based on Vaccination Status
By DYLAN GWINN
Urban Meyer said that vaccination status factored into his decision when making final cuts to the Jaguars roster. However, now, the Jaguars are saying no one was cut due to their vaccination status.
“Everyone was considered,” Meyer said. “That was part of the [considerations such as] production, let’s start talking about this, and also is he vaccinated or not? Can I say that that was a decision-maker? It was certainly in consideration.”
Current NFL rules prohibit coaches and executives from letting a player or employee’s vaccination status enter into roster or hiring decisions. In response to Meyer’s admission, the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) said they would launch an investigation into the Jags’ decision-making process.
“These comments have led us to open an investigation,” NFLPA spokesman George Atallah told Pro Football Talk in a text.
WASHINGTON – MARCH 4: DeMaurice Smith (R), NFLPA executive director, arrives with NFL Players Association Spokesman George Atallah (L) and Kansas City Chiefs player Brian Waters (C) for an extra day of negotiations at the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service building March 4, 2011 in Washington, DC. Representatives from the National Football League (NFL) and National Football League Players’ Association (NFLPA) continue to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement between players and owners during a 24 hour extension in negotiations. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)
The Jaguars released a statement on Twitter Wednesday stating that while “availability” played a part in the roster cutting process, no one was cut because of their “vaccination status.”
“Availability is one of the many factors taken into consideration when making roster decisions. We have vaccinated and unvaccinated players on our roster, and no player was released because of their vaccination status.”
“The league’s updated policy, vaccinated players will be tested once a week,” according to Fox News. “If they test positive they will be out 10 days or after two negative tests. By comparison, unvaccinated players must be tested every day and will miss 10 days following a positive case. If they are deemed a close contact of a positive case but test negative they are still required to undergo a five-day reentry process as was the case for Buffalo Bills’ wide receiver Cole Beasley.”
