Ron Rivera 'beyond frustrated' as Washington players lag behind on vaccines originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
RICHMOND, Va - Washington Football Team coach Ron Rivera did not hold back when asked for his feelings on some Washington players as of the start of training camp refusing to get vaccinated for Covid-19.
"I’m truly frustrated," Rivera said Tuesday at WFT Training Camp. "I’m beyond frustrated."
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The Washington Football Team is among the lowest vaccination rates in the NFL and is just inching towards 60 percent of the team with at least one shot. Rivera tried to remain optimistic and say that things are "trending up" but he also has an increased personal risk associated with Covid.
"Part of the reason I walk in with a mask on is I’m immune-deficient,” Rivera said. "I just hope that our guys can understand that.”
Rivera coached during the 2020 season while battling cancer, undergoing radiation and chemotherapy. He was among the first group of people to become eligible for the Covid vaccine earlier this year.
It's unclear what will happen next for Washington.
At some point, this becomes both a public health and a football story, as the NFL has set up a series of incentives for players to get vaccinated. The rules are set up that if a team stays under an 85 or 90 percent vaccine rate, meetings and practices will be more difficult as teams have to differentiate between players that have and have not received the shot.
As the regular season inches closer, the prospects of lost game checks and forfeits becomes much more realistic too.
Earlier this month, the NFL told teams that if a game cannot be rescheduled due to a COVID outbreak among unvaccinated players, it would count as a loss for the team with the outbreak.
Rivera's frustrations are real, and now everyone knows about them.
