How NFL Teams are Combating Vaccine Hesitancy

ESPN Daily

ESPN

Sports

4.6 • 3.9K Ratings

🗓️ 4 August 2021

⏱️ 34 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

As coronavirus cases surge across the country, the NFL’s training camps are in full swing. But the most important battle being waged is between the teams and a vocal minority of players who don’t want to get vaccinated. This offseason, the NFL has implemented new policies to encourage players to get the vaccine. For instance, if an unvaccinated player causes an outbreak that forces a game to be canceled, that player’s team must forfeit. And every player on both teams will lose out on their game check. In addition, unvaccinated players are mandated to spend 5 days in quarantine if they come in contact with an infected individual. So coaches around the league are increasingly taking the view that the vaccine isn’t just crucial to private and public health...it’s critical to winning football games. But that doesn’t mean every player agrees...and the friction is starting to boil over publicly. Kevin Seifert explains the pushback, and how the NFL is handling its vaccination efforts going forward. Then, Sarah Spain discusses her Olympic heptathlon dreams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Well, if you want to go back to normal, we're vaccinated.
0:07.0	I think everybody's tired of meeting out here and eating outside and doing all those things
0:11.0	you had to do last year.
0:12.0	So it's still a personal choice, but I don't see a reason not to be vaccinated.
0:16.0	That was Buccaneers head coach Bruce Ariens, imploring his players to make their most important move this offseason.
0:27.9	Getting vaccinated.
0:29.8	Because for Ariens and coaches around the league, the COVID-19 vaccine isn't just essential for, you know, personal and public health.
0:38.2	It's now essential for winning football games.
0:42.5	Today, we examine the vocal minority pushing back against the NFL's new vaccination effort.
0:48.7	And why, despite that backlash, the league remains undeterred.
0:55.5	I'm Pablo Torre. It's Wednesday, August 4th. This is ESPN Daily, presented by UKG. Our purpose is people. Kevin, thank you for joining me, man.
1:16.2	Where are you right now?
1:17.6	I am in Green Bay, Wisconsin, site of the Packers training camp.
1:21.3	Oh, so very boring.
1:22.2	Nothing really going on over there, huh?
1:23.9	It's been uneventful for sure.
1:26.7	Kevin Seaford covers the NFL for ESPN and has closely monitored the league's COVID policies.
1:33.0	So listen, the drama in Green Bay, how is it feeling right now as we're talking?
1:38.8	You know, it's actually died down a lot.
1:40.4	I mean, I think people were at their most nervous and their most worried last week in the
1:46.5	days leading up to Aaron Rogers, either deciding to retire, being traded, or reporting to
1:52.6	camp. And when he reported to camp and was on the practice field the first day, it was a very much
	...

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