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- The NFL wants unvaccinated players to be extremely recognizable by forcing them to wear certain colored wristbands.
- The NFLPA doesn’t appear to be on board with the wristband idea.
- Check out more sports coverage at BroBible here.
The NFL has not mandated the COVID-19 vaccine for players in the league but did lay out new punishments and guidelines last week for those that choose to not get vaccinated. The league is reportedly working on a new angle to single out those that don’t get vaccinated, by having unvaccinated players wear bright-colored wristbands.
The NFL is allowing teams around the league to make their own decision on forcing unvaccinated players to wear these wristbands, according to Adam Schefter. The NFLPA doesn’t seem to be totally on board with the move to purposefully identify certain players by essentially putting a mark on them.
The NFL and the NFLPA are also at odds over the use of wristbands to identity unvaccinated players, per sources. The NFL is allowing clubs to to make players wear bright colored wristbands, which the NFLPA believes is unnecessary. Talks to continue. https://t.co/nGnFSCafI1
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 26, 2021
The news about the colored wristbands coincided with the report that 13 NFL staffers and four players have tested positive for COVID-19 this month despite being fully vaccinated.
Unvaccinated NFL Players Will Have A Rough Season
The NFL recently sent out its most stern and impactful memo yet when it comes to players getting the vaccine.
The memo stated that if a COVID outbreak occurs among unvaccinated players then the team will be forced to forfeit games that are impacted that can not be rescheduled later in the season. Neither team involved in the forfeit will be paid for that week either.
“If a game is canceled and cannot be rescheduled within the current 18-week schedule due to a COVID outbreak, neither team’s players will receive their weekly paragraph 5 salary,” the memo stated.
Vaccinated players who test positive and are asymptomatic can return to action after two negative tests 24 hours apart. Unvaccinated players that test positive, however, are subject to mandatory 10-day isolation.
While the NFL hasn’t technically mandated the vaccine for players around the league, it’s done everything in its power to get players to receive the shot.