JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jaguars coach Urban Meyer went through his first full batch of player cuts this week and knew it was going to be tough.
One of the areas of consideration that factored into keeping or cutting a player — their vaccination status.
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“Everyone was considered,” Meyer said Tuesday. “That was part of the production, let’s start talking about this, and then also is he vaccinated or not. Can I say that that was a decision maker? It was certainly in consideration.”
That’s the norm in the NFL these days, especially with the amount of restrictions placed on unvaccinated players by both the NFL and the NFL Players Association.
According to Pro Football Talk, Meyer’s comments have drawn the attention of the Players Association.
“These comments have led us to open an investigation,” NFLPA spokesman George Atallah told PFT in a text message.
Unvaccinated players who test positive must miss 10 days. After that window, there is a three-day period where players have to follow return-to-play guidelines before they can be placed on the active roster.
So, at the minimum, that’s nearly two full weeks off the active roster. The rules for vaccinated players are more forgiving. Those who test positive must be out for 10 days, but they can return sooner than that if they test negative twice in a 24-hour period.
Defensive end Josh Allen was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Aug. 23 and didn’t return to the active roster until Monday. Guard AJ Cann is currently on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. Meyer said that the team was 84% vaccinated on Aug. 20.
Meyer’s comments on vaccination status came after the Patriots released Cam Newton earlier in the day.
Newton, who is unvaccinated, missed practice time leading into New England’s final preseason game of 2021 after a “misunderstanding” of NFL COVID-19 protocols. Last season, he tested positive for COVID-19, forcing him to miss a game. The prospect of him being unavailable again because he hasn’t been vaccinated may have played a role in the Patriots’ decision, which clears the way for Bolles product Mac Jones to start the season as New England’s quarterback.
“Everybody’s excited for him, and I think he’s going to do a heck of a job,” Bolles assistant coach Mike Barrett said of Jones.
Barrett said it’s becoming clear that professional sports organizations are taking more steps to prevent athletes from spreading COVID-19.
“The organizations are trying to make sure everybody is safe and gets the vaccination, try to keep the season running as smoothly as possible,” Barrett said.
The NFL reported last week that its players have achieved a vaccination rate of 93%. Roughly 200 players in the league have yet to be vaccinated, according to the NFL.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.