NFL won't require players to get Covid-19 vaccine but will still encourage them to get it

Somehow, somewhat, and against all odds, the National Football League was able to finish the 2020 season without a single cancelation. Yes, it was complicated and they had to reschedule multiple games but it all worked out perfectly at the end and we even got an exciting Super Bowl between theTampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs with some fans in attendance.

Obviously, you’d expect this season to be even better as they already have some experience containing Covid-19, let alone the fact that multiple players, coaches, staff members, and even fans are likely to be vaccinated.

That’s why it seems like the league isn’t going to force players into getting the Covid-19 vaccine, even though they will still try to encourage players to get vaccinated before and during the season.

Covid-19 Vaccines Won’t Be Mandatory For NFL Players

“Right up front, let me be clear: The NFL and the NFL Players Association have no intention of making the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for players, coaches or staff,” Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer, told Judy Battista of NFL Media,” as quoted by ProFootball Talk.

“What we are focusing on is education. We want everyone to have the facts, and we believe that this is an important step forward. Again, as we spoke about for the draft room experience, you’ll see vaccinated individuals be able to have certain privileges and certain precautions that are lifted that won’t apply to unvaccinated individuals. We’ll continue those discussions. Again, go where the science leads us on that. But I think we’ve got a lot to learn between now and then. But we’re really going to focus on getting that education and continuing that dialogue. We’re seeing a lot of dialogue among players, coaches and staff about vaccinations. We hope everyone gets vaccinated. That would be our hope,” Sills concluded.

This way, the league won’t mess with anyone’s beliefs and will try to get through another season without controversies, something easier said than done. Hopefully, we’ll be able to focus just on football.