Report: 13 NFL Teams Have Already Reached COVID Vaccination Threshold
BOSTON (CBS) -- Thursday night's postponed Red Sox-Yankees game provided a blunt reminder that sports leagues are still navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. In just a couple of short weeks, the opening of NFL training camps will add yet another layer to that equation.
While the NFL did not mandate vaccinations for players and staff, the league did incorporate some rather severe restrictions for anyone who does not receive a vaccination. Those rules seem to be working, as NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported that 73.8 percent of NFL players have received at least one shot thus far.
Pelissero also noted that 13 teams have reached the critical 85 percent vaccination rate, a threshold which allows for teams to have certain freedoms when training camp begins.
NFL player vaccination update:
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 16, 2021
- 13 teams are over the 85% threshold
- 73.8% of players have at least one shot
- 2 teams are below 50%
Most teams report to training camp in 11 days …
Of course, that report had a flip side, with Pelissero noting that two teams are below a 50 percent vaccination rate, thus ensuring that some teams will have some serious restrictions when their camps open, and beyond.
The NFL imposed rules for unvaccinated players, which include daily COVID testing, mask mandates, eating alone, mandated quarantines following exposure to an infected individual, and limited in-person interactions.
The specific teams that have reached the threshold have not been identified. The Patriots open their training camp on July 28.