The league has announced that unvaccinated NFL players would be fined $14,650 each time they violate Covid-19 guidelines.
In a recent profile in the Tampa Bay Times, Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians stated that he would fine a player “$14,000 on the spot every time he isn’t wearing a mask or is breaking a procedure.”
The coach emphasized to ESPN in a text message that it was league rules, putting to rest initial concerns that Mr Arians was imposing his own rules for the club.
The NFL later verified this.
Those who do not wear adequate PPE, such as masks, in situations where they are required to do so will face fines.
There are also restrictions on attending crowded indoor events and the types of venues where players can congregate for social or team-related activities.
Players who have not been vaccinated will be tested on a daily basis.
Mr. Arians stated that the Buccaneers, who won the Super Bowl, will be close to 85% fully vaccinated by the end of training before the start of the new season.
In the 2020 season, the team had the fewest game cancellations due to the coronavirus.
Only three players were forced to miss games after catching the virus or being in close proximity to someone who tested positive.
Several of the team’s players are immune to the vaccine.
In a tweet on Thursday, running back Leonard Fournette wrote, “Vaccine I can’t do it,” while newcomer Antonio Hamilton labeled the vaccines “experiments” and said, “If they get rid of me for sharing information with the uneducated, then so be it!” Mr Arians said doctors and vaccine specialists have not been brought in to answer the team as a whole, but they have been made accessible to address player concerns.
He further stated that if athletes still refuse to obtain the vaccine, they must adhere to the Covid guidelines and limits from the previous year.
After a visit to the White House on Tuesday to celebrate their Super Bowl victory, the Buccaneers began their pre-season workouts on Sunday.
They earned their Super Bowl rings on Thursday.
If an infection among unvaccinated players causes an unresolvable interruption in the regular-season schedule, the NFL threatened forfeits and the loss of game checks on Thursday.
According to an agreement with the NFL Players Association, the league encourages but does not require players to get immunized.
