JACKSONVILLE, Florida. – The Jaguars released a statement Wednesday morning saying the team did not release any players on Tuesday due to their vaccination status, a day after head coach Urban Meyer said it was a consideration.
“Availability is one of the many factors to consider when making list decisions,” the statement said. “We have vaccinated and unvaccinated payers on our roster and no player has been released due to their vaccination status. Ultimately, decisions are based on a player’s ability to help the Jaguars win. our players and we respect personal decisions as far as we want to keep our players, staff and families safe as we comply with health and safety and competition related protocols on game days ”.
A league source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that the Jaguars will be one of the five teams with the most unvaccinated players.
Meyer said Tuesday that a player’s vaccination status was one of the things considered when cutting the list from 80 to 53, not that players were just cut short by their vaccination status. He cited the stricter COVID-19 protocols imposed on unvaccinated players that test positive or are identified as high-risk close contacts compared to protocols for vaccinated players.
“Everyone was considered,” Meyer said. “This was part of the [considerations, such as] production, let’s start talking about it, and is it also vaccinated or not? Can I say he was a decision maker? It was definitely taken into account. “
The difference in the protocols of vaccinated and unvaccinated players is significant. A player without a vaccine who tests positive or is classified as a high-risk close contact would lose much more time than a vaccinated player.
Vaccinated players are tested weekly and those who test positive must leave ten days off or may return earlier when they receive two negative PCR tests separated by 24 hours. Vaccinated players cannot be identified as close high-risk contacts, but if they are exposed to someone who tests positive, they must wear a mask inside the facility and must perform daily tests for five days after the day of the exhibition.
Unvaccinated players are tested daily and those who test positive must miss 10 days, and there is a three-day return protocol to the game. Unvaccinated players designated as close high-risk contacts should be tested immediately. If they give a negative result, they will have to lose five days and can return on the 6th. If they give a positive, they must pass the protocol of return to reproduction of three days of quarantine and three days.
Meyer’s comments didn’t go well with the NFL Players Association. George Atallah, the NFLPA’s executive deputy director of foreign affairs, said in an email that Meyer’s statement “has led us to open an investigation.”
Buffalo Bills CEO Brandon Beane made similar comments in an appearance on the team-sponsored One Bills Live radio show in May, saying he would cut an unvaccinated player to bring the team closer to the team’s immunity. herd “because it would be an advantage” for a team that has a normal off-season experience.
The NFL spoke with Beane about his comments and reiterated that there is a rule that prohibits teams from cutting players because of their vaccination status.
Meyer said that at the beginning of the training camp, the team tried to educate the players about the vaccine and encouraged them to get vaccinated, but each player was allowed to decide for himself. But Meyer also admitted the protocols for a player without a vaccine to test positive or believe that close high-risk contact can significantly affect the team’s chances of winning.