Urban Meyer admitted on Tuesday that players’ vaccination status factored into the Jaguars’ decisions as the team cut their roster down to 53 players on Tuesday.
“Everyone was considered,” Meyer said. “That was part of the [considerations such as] production, let’s start talking about this, and also is he vaccinated or not? Can I say that that was a decision-maker? It was certainly in consideration.”
His admission didn’t sit well with the NFLPA. George Atallah, the assistant executive director for external affairs, told ESPN that they have opened an investigation into Meyer and the Jaguars.
The precedent was set back in May, when Bills GM Brandon Beane said on the radio that he would cut an unvaccinated player “because it’d be an advantage” for the team. The NFL called Beane and stated a player cannot be cut exclusively due to their vaccination status.
However, in Meyer’s case, he stated that it was just a “decision-maker” and one of many factors that went into it. The NFL has much stricter protocols for unvaccinated players – protocols the NFLPA agreed to – which likely makes factoring vaccination status into roster decisions inevitable.
Urban Meyer takes questions after the Jaguars’ preseason game against the Browns. Getty ImagesUnvaccinated players must miss a minimum of ten days if they test positive, and if they are deemed a high-risk close contact, they must miss five days even if they test negative. Vaccinated players cannot be deemed high-risk contacts and can return immediately after two negative tests if they test positive.
It’s an obvious competitive advantage for players to be vaccinated, and it has already played out that way in training camp. Cam Newton had to miss several days of practice due to violating COVID-19 protocols, and he was locked in a QB competition (though Bill Belichick insisted it wasn’t the reason he was cut from the Patriots). Bills receivers Cole Beasley and Isaiah McKenzie missed five days of practice as high-risk contacts despite testing negative.
Even with the Jaguars, Josh Allen – the team’s best pass rusher – was forced to miss two preseason games while being on the COVID-19 list. He hasn’t revealed his vaccination status, per ESPN, though he has worn masks to interviews, another requirement for unvaccinated players.
