One prominent player is notably not vaccinated for COVID-19, but now the Buffalo Bills have a growing issue.
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Cole Beasley has notably been against COVID-19 vaccines, which based on the NFL’s protocols created the possibility of a looming issue for the team. Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News first reported a training staff member tested positive for the virus, with Beasley and fellow wide receiver Gabriel Davis immediately being deemed close contacts.
Beasley and Davis have been removed from the facility, and they have to undergo a five-day re-entry process. That means they are not vaccinated, again per the NFL and NFLPA’s rules. But Leonard subsequently added that linebackers Matt Milano and A.J. Klein will also be away from the facility for five days despite testing negative as Beasley and Davis did.
New update: per source, #Bills LBs A.J. Klein & Matt Milano also must stay out of the Buffalo team facility for NFL-NFLPA mandated 5 days, despite testing negative this morning, due to team trainer’s positive #COVID19 test & close contact https://t.co/Ts7EDYtrPc
— Pat Leonard (@PLeonardNYDN) August 24, 2021
This underscores two sides of the coin:
— Pat Leonard (@PLeonardNYDN) August 24, 2021
1. If players were vaccinated, they wouldn’t have to be out for 5 days
But
2. A vaccinated player/staff can still test positive for #COVID19, which can contribute to outbreak or spread in a building that could compromise a game #Bills
The Bills have a COVID-19 issue
Beasley has threatened to retire over the vaccination issue and the NFL’s rules with vaccinated/unvaccinated players, and the idea the Bills could cut him has been out there. Leonard has reported four prominent players as close contacts to the COVID-positive staff member, but there could certainly be more since said person is apparently part of the training staff.
With so long before Week 1, the Bills won’t compromise a meaningful game with this COVID-19 positive test on their support staff and contact tracing issue taking players out of the facility. But this could be wake-up call for the whole organization, lest they derail a promising season coming off 2020’s resurgent campaign.