NFLPA to investigate Urban Meyer's admission that vaccination status factored into roster cuts

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: Washington Post

NFL

NFLPA to investigate Urban Meyer’s admission that vaccination status factored into roster cuts

By Mark Maske and Des Bieler
Yesterday at 9:31 p.m. EDT

The NFL Players Association said it will open an investigation into comments made Tuesday by Jacksonville Jaguars Coach Urban Meyer, who said that the team considered players’ vaccination status while making its roster decisions.

“This is a concern and we are going to look into it,” George Atallah, the NFLPA’s assistant executive director of external affairs, said Tuesday night.

The Jaguars and other NFL teams trimmed their rosters to 53 active players by Tuesday afternoon’s deadline. Meyer said that players’ potential availability — based on vaccination status — was among the issues considered by the Jaguars.

“Everyone was considered,” Meyer said at a news conference. “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.”

{snip}

By Mark Maske
Mark Maske covers the NFL for The Washington Post. He has covered the NFL and the Washington Football Team since 1998. He previously covered baseball, the Baltimore Orioles, the effort to bring a major league team to Washington, and colleges. Twitter https://twitter.com/MarkMaske

By Des Bieler
Des Bieler is a staff writer in Sports who covers a wide variety of topics, including fantasy football. He first settled in at The Post in 1995 and has proved difficult to dislodge. Twitter https://twitter.com/DesBieler

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/08/31/urban-meyer-jaguars-vaccination-roster-cuts/

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NFL Players Association to investigate Urban Meyer’s admission that vaccination status factored into roster cuts

Link to tweet

[Srkdqltr]

1. Makes sense. An un vaccinated player would be a liability.

[brush]

22. Yes. The Players' Association should be advocating...

that its members get vaccinated instead of protesting this as the League has already stated that teams will forfeit games and must pay expenses and game checks for opponents of canceled games.

Getting their members vaxxed should been the number one priority from day one for the Association.

Belicheck didn't say so but that's probably the reason he cut Cam Newton...not being vaccinated.

[nycbos]

2. Wow the NFLPA did the impossible.

Last edited Wed Sep 1, 2021, 02:51 PM - Edit history (1)

They made an old white man look like a good guy in a situation like this. That's a special kind of stupid.


Bravo to coach Meyer if he cut unvaccinated players.

[LymphocyteLover]

21. Right? I mean, what's the problem here?

[twodogsbarking]

3. That was easy.

[OAITW r.2.0]

4. Maybe the NFLPA would support an anti-vax league?

Why wouldn't teams have the right to decide what players to keep? If it boils down to a vax'd player vs. an unvax'd player making the cut....why wouldn't this be a factor? Seems like a reasonable position for a team to take. I think that factored into Belichick's decision to cut Cam Newton.

[lagomorph777]

7. OOooh, yes - pack a stadium with antivaxxers.

Then lock the doors.

[twodogsbarking]

9. Horse medicine at the concession stand.

I think we are on to something.

[Botany]

5. So what is wrong with this?

An un-vaccinated player is liability to the team and the league. They don't have to take the vaccine but the team
doesn't have to give 'em a roster spot. The NFL's new rules come with severe penalties for teams that have un-
vaccinated players who get the disease.

I don't know why Ohio State is not demanding to see proof of vaccination to attend a football game this fall. I love
OSU football but the last thing I want to do is attend a game right now even though I am vaccinated.

[lagomorph777]

6. They need to investigate what's wrong with some of their members.

Health of the player is a core condition of employment, as far as I know. But I don't follow sports.

[DanieRains]

8. Unvaxxed Idiots More Likely To Miss Games A Big Factor

Makes sense.

They can also cause an outbreak on a team.

Cut them all.

[elias7]

10. No brainer. A forfeit due to Covid is a Loss for the team responsible for the outbreak.

The league sent a memo to all 32 teams in July that said if a game cannot be rescheduled during the season due to a COVID-19 outbreak among unvaccinated players, the team with the outbreak will be credited with a loss in a forfeit.

Of course vax status should be considered.

The NFLPA should smarten up.

[WA-03 Democrat]

11. It's fine to cut him for health reason

Because their knees and hips have been ground to dust but a Pandemic is a personal choice!

[33taw]

12. Republicans are against unions, but that is their best recourse to fight these situations.

[JT45242]

13. NFL Radio talked about this last night (former GM Pat Kirwin)

They said that every team would count this in the equation especially for end of the roster spots and the practice squad which is expanded specifically to prevent a position group from being wiped out by covid. He said that he talked to a lot of teams and that unofficially they were considering this -- especially after Denver starting a WR at QB last year.

Then-- they said that NO TEAM WOULD SAY THIS ON THE RECORD because of the collective bargaining agreement.

Urban made the mistake of telling the truth.

He will quickly learn that NFL stands for "Not For Long" when the players make more and have more clout with the owner than the coach.

Have to be smart enough to know ehn to not answer a question.

[Auggie]

14. Florida is an at-will state ... anybody can be fired from any job for little reason

Expect the courts to settle the question: is vaccination (or no vaccination) a form of free speech?

https://www.ballmanfirm.com/youve-been-fired-what-can-you-do-about-it-under-florida-law.html

The NFL made it's case pretty clear last month. The NFLPA has no case even if they can prove anything.

[gab13by13]

15. Wouldn't this be based on the contract language

and not on Florida law? The NFLPA agreement spans many states.

[Auggie]

17. Who knows? That's why I expect the courts to settle it.

The NFL made it pretty clear that any franchise that can't field a team for any game will forfeit. Even Jerry Jones of the Cowboys jumped on the vaccine bandwagon.

[maxsolomon]

16. No doubt why Belichik cut Cam Newton.

That and money.

[Marcuse]

18. Unvaxxed players exposed to a positive contact have to 5 day quarantine, missing practice/games.

[gab13by13]

19. Can't Urban use

the GQP defense - "I was just joking." It works for politicians.

[JT45242]

20. Also the key 85% threshold... teams protecting themselves from a potential FORFEIT

If a team is below the 85% vaccinated threshold and gets an outbreak. They will forfeit the game and all players will lose a game check.

Nice to know that the NFLPA is out there working hard to cause players to lose paychecks by protecting the unvaccinated players.

(Not to mention the guy accused by more than 20 women of sexual assault -- somehow I doubt he will get 20 times the punishment that Roethlisberger got (6 game suspension) for one accusation) Yep ... this union wants to protect rapists, steroid users, and anti-vaxxers.

[brush]

23. The offending team also has to pay game checks for opponents as well.

The League is not playing around and coaches know what to do.

The players and their association need to smarten up and get vaccinated or many will be out of jobs.

That's plain as day.

[Xoan]

24. Snowflakes play football?

Who'd a thunk it!

[oldsoftie]

25. Shit like this is why a lot of people dont like unions.