93% of players vaccinated for COVID-19

The NFL says 93% of players are vaccinated for COVID-19 and the league wanted mandatory vaccination but the NFLPA wouldn’t agreed to it.

The league also has asked the players’ union to adjust protocols so vaccinated players would be tested weekly instead of every 14 days. Unvaccinated players are tested daily.

NFLPA president JC Tretter, a center for the Cleveland Browns, said earlier this week the decision not to make vaccination mandatory was done by the league.

But league officials disputed that assertion.

“We’ve been discussing mandatory vaccination from the start,” NFL deputy general counsel Larry Ferazani said Thursday. “In fact, we took the lead and required staff and coaches to be vaccinated in order to have access to a player. Beginning at that point, we began banging the drum for what (the NFLPA’S) experts also concede is the single greatest way that we can protect the players and the staff, which is to get to a 100 percent vaccination level. That was our request from that, and we would still love to see that mandate go into effect tomorrow.”

NFL officials also do not have a vaccine mandate.

The league reported 68 positives cases out of 7,190 tested individuals between Aug. 1-21.

The 0.95% incidence rate is lower than in most communities.

Beckham continues comeback, joins Browns’ team drills. CLEVELAND» Odell Beckham Jr.’s comeback is closer to completion.

Beckham, who has slowly increased his activities since the Browns opened training camp last month, took his first snaps in team drills during Thursday’s practice — a major step in his return from season-ending knee surgery.

Beckham was on the field for a handful of plays in the 11 on 11 period, and the star wide receiver also caught passes in 7 on 7 drills, his most significant work to date.

Bills’ Mckenzie faces discipline for breaking COVID rules.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y.» Buffalo Bills receiver Isaiah Mckenzie revealed he faces NFL discipline for violating the league’s COVID-19 protocols for unvaccinated players by failing to wear a mask inside the team’s facility.

Mckenzie wrote: “They got me! @NFL you win!” in a Thursday social media post in which he included a copy of the first page of a letter he received from the league informing him of the violation.

It was Mckenzie’s second violation; the league issued him a warning on July 27, a day before the Bills opened training camp.

Under league rules, the first offense for violating the protocols will result in a fine of $14,650.

Repeat violations could result in a player being suspended or fined a week’s salary.