Seth Udinski, FISM News
The COVID-19 shot has been one of the most polarizing issues in American news. In the world of sports, the jab is dominating headlines as well.
The latest development involves NFL wide receiver Cole Beasley. The 10-year NFL veteran with the Buffalo Bills, ruffled feathers earlier this summer when he openly declined receiving the COVID-19 shot.
Public Service Announcement pic.twitter.com/XjQicdvnKm
— Cole Beasley (@Bease11) June 18, 2021
According to reports from ESPN insider Adam Schefter, Beasley and two teammates will miss the next five days of practice after coming into close contact with an anonymous trainer who tested positive for COVID-19. All three players did not test positive. According to Schefter, the trainer is fully inoculated.
More details: The Bills’ trainer who tested positive was fully vaccinated. Beasley was in close contact with him yesterday and tested negative for covid today, as did Gabe Davis and Star Lotulelei, who all were all sent home and all tested negative. https://t.co/APlxWWumsg
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 24, 2021
This situation speaks volumes about the disparity between the widespread pushback against the those who have refused the vaccine and the dangers of being unvaccinated. People who have refused a vaccine that was just approved for regular use by the FDA are painted as careless, selfish, and worse. Beasley is unvaccinated, and regardless of the efficacy of the drug, he is exercising his right to refuse it. He is now forced to miss pre-season practice because he merely came into contact with a fully vaccinated individual who still contracted COVID-19.
Beasley’s choice should be respected, even though the media, much of society, and his own professional league stand against him. The NFL has made it clear that players will be rewarded for lock-stepping with vaccine mandates, while those who do not will face a frustrating flurry of testing and masking. Hopefully Beasley will be allowed to return with no pushback and the NFL will quickly realize the foolishness of its rules.
On the field, the Bills cannot afford to lose their veteran slot receiver. Beasley caught 82 passes last year for 967 yards as the Bills won their first division title in 25 years and reached the AFC Championship Game for the first time since the 1993 season. He was the second-most productive receiver on the team in 2020 after Stefon Diggs.