Vaccination status has raised plenty of controversies around the NFL this season. From Cam Newton being cut to Aaron Rodgers breaking protocols for over two months, we've had a lot to talk about when it comes to that subject.
Vaccinated players need to abide by certain rules, while unvaccinated players need to follow different protocols. Simply put, being vaccinated gives you a bit of an edge when it comes to the players' day-to-day routine.
That's why former Super Bowl champion Joe Flacco didn't want to leave any sort of room for speculation. Now that he'll be back under center for the New York Jets, he admitted that he hasn't taken the jab.
Joe Flacco Says He's Not Vaccinated, Wants To Avoid Being A Distraction
“I’m not vaccinated. I definitely have my reasons,” Flacco said, as quoted by ProFootballTalk. “Honestly, I probably like to talk about this topic more than anybody. It’s one of those things that you debate with all the time. But overall I’ve felt like it’s more of a distraction than anything. So I feel like to kind of talk about it too much and give you all my beliefs, is more of a distraction than anything. I think the most important thing is going to play the football game.”
Flacco Says He'll Follow NFL Protocol
Flacco didn't want to read too much into Aaron Rodgers' situation. He wore a mask during his press conference and promised to follow the league's health and safety protocols as long as he's out there:
“I mean, we all know what the rules are," the veteran QB added. "So when those things happen, we’ve all been told what the protocols are, and we’ve all been following the protocols. If you want to go out there and play the game you love, you have to do what you have to do.”
The Jets will need as much help as they can from Flacco to try and get their third win of the season. The third-stringer will get the nod over injured QBs Zach Wilson and Mike White, and hopefully, he'll be able to turn back the clock and shut down the doubters.
