After the 2020 NFL season was engulfed in the global COVID pandemic, just like in the greater world, vaccinations have become part of the landscape in the attempt to return to a sense of normalcy. Within the league, players and staff are encouraged to participate in regards to easing the guidelines for testing and social distancing.
The Cowboys were one of a handful of teams which didn’t reach the necessary threshold to relax the environment prior to starting training camp, but now are one of many NFL teams pushing towards the 85% threshold. With Dallas training camp starting in Oxnard, team owner Jerry Jones gave some clarity on the Cowboys’ status on vaccinations.
“We have what I call ‘in the pipeline’, that’s committed but at some various stage…out of our 90 players here, we have a handful that in my mind have still yet to commit (to a vaccine).”
Jones is confident players will get their vaccines and make sure the team has no issues this season with the pandemic. Compared to the “77 percent” that most teams have for the vaccine, Jones says “we are very satisfied.”
After the NFL loosened requirements for vaccinated players, getting a vaccine has become a hurdle for players and staff to jump to make the upcoming season much less stressful and take away the potential risk of missing games due to a positive COVID test.
Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy took the chance to describe his experience with getting the vaccine and how he was able to alleviate the concerns.
I was not particularly 100% on-board with the vaccination but through the relationships we are fortunate to have in the medical community, you watch, you listen, and I think that same approach was given to our players… I made the conscious decision to get the vaccination.
McCarthy said it was an ongoing conversation and he spent time discussing with Jones and the medical staff when deciding it was best for him and the team to get a vaccine. With there still being unvaccinated players on the Cowboys, McCarthy and the staff will have to go through the same conversations if they want to reach the 85% threshold.
Jones made sure to finish McCarthy’s statement with a stern explanation that Dallas won’t have any issues with being able to compete in 2021, whether it be on the football field or getting vaccinated.
We are right there in the same spot with other teams that are able to compete…I will report to you, factually, that we are able to stand up to anybody there is and be able to compete any day relative to all the issues about a vaccine.
The players continued to go through medical checks on Wednesday and will hit the field for their first practice on Thursday.
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