It’s hard to believe there are still those out there who claim that breakthrough cases of Covid-19 are “rare.” They are not. They account for the vast majority of positive Covid cases nationwide and around the world. In fact, it seems clear that we’re in the middle of a “pandemic of the vaccinated,” and the National Football League is the shining example of this reality.
With over 95% of players and nearly 100% of coaches and staff “fully vaccinated,” they should be near zero Covid-19 cases across the league IF the vaccines actually worked to slow the spread. They do not. If NFL officials were ignorant enough to think the vaccines worked before, they know with absolute certainty that they’re not working now as they’re in the middle of the biggest surge in cases they’ve ever seen.
Three games had to be postponed because so many players are testing positive. The Cleveland Browns have a whopping 24 players on the Covid list, and they weren’t the only ones with cases spiking. According to Yahoo! Sports:
The news this week never got better for the Browns. At first it was that most of their offensive line and receiver Jarvis Landry went on the COVID-19 reserve list. Then quarterback Baker Mayfield and coach Kevin Stefanski were added on Wednesday. On Thursday, next quarterback up Case Keenum went on the list. On Friday, it was edge defender Jadeveon Clowney. As of Friday afternoon, the Browns had 24 players on the COVID-19 list, three from the practice squad and three others who were ruled out due to injury, according to Tom Withers of the AP.
Before Friday, anytime the NFL had been asked they stated there was no change to the status of the game, the first scheduled Saturday game this season in the NFL. Mayfield complained about the NFL’s protocols. Many pointed out it would be easy to push the game back, though that would leave a gap in the television schedule on Saturday. The NFL resisted until Friday afternoon, when shortly before the Raiders were scheduled to take off, Dan Graziano of ESPN reported the NFL and NFLPA were having discussions about moving the game.
The Browns were not the only team dealing with an outbreak. The Rams and Washington also had more than 20 players go on the reserve list. There was news from other teams around the league, like New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton testing positive and being ruled out of this week’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It was a reminder of 2020, when the news cycle was dominated by news of players going on and coming off the reserve/COVID-19 list. There was reportedly even a disagreement between players and the union over COVID-19 protocols such as testing and quarantines, according to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero.
The NFL has taken a draconian approach to the vaccines, segregating the league and how it handles its players based solely on their vaccine status. The unvaccinated are required to take 10 days off if they test positive while the vaccinated only require two negative tests in 24 hours to get back into action. Vaccinated players must test once a week while the unvaxxed must be tested daily. The efforts by the NFL to pressure players to get the jab have been tyrannical and completely ineffective.
In a sane world, the NFL would acknowledge that their vaccines protocols were idiotic and they’d work towards making amends with the players who embraced medical freedom. Instead, they’re just moving games and hoping their problems will magically disappear.
