The Buffalo Bills are going through nothing less than the ringer this week as it pertains to headlines involving COVID-19 and safety protocols passed down by the NFL.
To start the week, a training staff member tested positive for the virus. Per current league rules, if a player who is unvaccinated is deemed to be in close contact with some that tests positive, they must go home and quarantine for five days.
Including in that bunch that had to leave was wide receiver Cole Beasley, the NFL’s most-outspoken player that is against being vaccinated for COVID-19. Beasley and fellow wide Isaiah McKenzie then starting talking themselves on Thursday via social media accounts.
The pair essentially were complaining about being fined $14K by the NFL for violating mask-wearing rules.
All things considering, Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott who doubles as the voice of the organization from a media sense, had his hands full this week. He was candid during his Thursday press conference with how he felt about it.
“Very frustrating… very frustrating,” McDermott said. “There’s people’s livelihoods at stake in terms of, you know, people’s jobs, people’s performances… is judged off of wins and losses or how well a person does ‘X’ or ‘Y’ and some of that is dependent upon other members of the team.”
“If this were a real [regular season] week, having the players out that we’ve had, that makes it hard to win games that way. That’s the competitive piece of this,” McDermott added.
On the COVID-vaccination topic, McDermott, often one to beat around the bush with his words, has not.
McDermott once again on Thursday echoed a sentiment that was in favor of people being vaccinated against COVID-19. He previously did so as well.
Earlier this week, Bills general manager Brandon Beane spoke on the topic and like the coach, the GM had a bit of worry about such a scenario unfolding when games count.
“These are the rules that are currently agreed upon by the NFLPA and league office so we deal with it and now all understand them,” Beane said. “I’m glad it’s the preseason and hopefully we won’t have a lot of this in the regular season.”
Fortunately for the Bills, it still is the preseason. But this vaccination topic certainly will not being away.
Along with Beasley’s outspoken stance, overall as a team, the Bills were recently revealed to most likely be one of the four least-vaccinated teams in the NFL.
Naturally all in western New York, regardless of their stance on the vaccination, will hope this situation does not unfold in the regular season. The NFL has already taken a stance toward not canceling or moving games in 2021 as well.
So if something happens… it happens.
[lawrence-related id=85854,85847,85845]