The NFL Players Association said it will open an investigation into comments made Tuesday by Jacksonville Jaguars Coach Urban Meyer, who said that the team considered players’ vaccination status while making its roster decisions.
“This is a concern and we are going to look into it,” George Atallah, the NFLPA’s assistant executive director of external affairs, said Tuesday night.
The Jaguars and other NFL teams trimmed their rosters to 53 active players each by Tuesday afternoon’s deadline. Meyer said that players’ potential availability – based on vaccination status – was among the issues considered by the Jaguars.
“Everyone was considered,” Meyer said at a news conference. “That was part of the production. Let’s start talking about this and then also: Is he vaccinated or not? Can I say that that was a decision-maker? It was certainly in consideration.”
The NFL did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday night.
In May, a representative of the league office called Buffalo Bills General Manager Brandon Beane to reinforce to him that a player cannot be released based solely on vaccination status, a person familiar with the situation said at the time. That was after Beane made comments in a radio interview about a hypothetical scenario involving releasing an unvaccinated player.
Unvaccinated players are tested daily for the coronavirus, under the protocols developed by the league and the NFLPA. Vaccinated players and team staffers will be tested weekly, under the updated protocols for the regular season that were sent to the teams Monday by the league.
Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer, said last week that unvaccinated players were testing positive for the virus at a rate seven times higher than vaccinated players. Unvaccinated players also are subject to five-day quarantines if they’re identified as high-risk close contacts to an individual who tests positive. Vaccinated players are exempt from quarantines based on contact tracing.
The NFL said last week that it is interested in a vaccine requirement for all players, but the NFLPA has not consented to that.
Meyer pointed Tuesday to the NFL’s stringent rules regarding unvaccinated players in citing the fact that standout pass rusher Josh Allen missed a pair of preseason games after having been placed on the Jaguars’ COVID-19 reserve list.
“Josh Allen’s never had it (COVID),” Meyer said. “He’s not played in two weeks. So he’s never had COVID. I don’t know if I’m allowed to say that, but he’s never had COVID. So that’s pretty punitive.”
• Jacksonville claimed receiver Tyron Johnson off waivers from the Los Angeles Chargers, the only move the Jaguars made despite having first dibs on every player waived in final roster cuts.
TITANS: Coach Mike Vrabel returned to work after a 10-day quarantine for COVID-19, and the Titans’ virus outbreak may be easing up over the next few days.
The Titans still have nine players currently on the reserve/COVID-19 list, including five starters: quarterback Ryan Tannehill, center Ben Jones, right guard Nate Davis, tight end Geoff Swaim and outside linebacker Harold Landry III.
Tennessee has some time with the season opener Sept. 12 against Arizona.
TEXANS: GM Nick Caserio said QB Deshaun Watson has not been a distraction during training camp, but repeatedly refused to provide any clarity on his future with the team.
Watson’s future with the team is in question after 22 women filed lawsuits alleging that he sexually assaulted or harassed them, and Houston police and the NFL are investigating the allegations.
Even before all that Watson had been unhappy with the direction of the team and requested a trade earlier this year.
Watson reported to camp to avoid being fined and participated in individual drills, but never practiced with the team, watching as Tyrod Taylor ran the offense.
Caserio said he’s had multiple conversations with Watson during camp and that he’s been at the facility every day since the Texans opened camp participating in meetings and interacting with teammates.
CHIEFS: All-Pro safety Tyrann Mathieu has tested positive for COVID-19 and was placed on the league’s reserve list, though he could be back with the team soon and available for Week 1 against Cleveland.
Mathieu is fully vaccinated, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press, and NFL rules released in July say vaccinated players testing positive but are asymptomatic can return after two negative tests taken 24 hours apart.
SAINTS: The New Orleans Saints will play their season opener in Jacksonville after being displaced by Hurricane Ida. Instead of playing in the Superdome for the Sept. 12 opener against the Green Bay Packers, the Saints will host the game at the home of the Jaguars, the NFL announced.
While the Superdome appears to have been spared significant damage from the powerful Category 4 hurricane, there are logistical challenges with staffing an NFL game there in the near future because of the widespread damage in the New Orleans area.
The Saints evacuated before the storm to North Texas, and have practiced this week at AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys. They are remaining in Texas for workouts next week, and will travel to Jacksonville the day before the season opener.
DOLPHINS: Coach Brian Flores publicly expressed his support for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, which may or may not tamp down speculation about the team’s interest in Houston quarterback Deshaun Watson. Tagovailoa will be the Week 1 starter against the New England Patriots on Sept. 12, Flores said.
“Yes. I don’t know if I can be more clear,” Flores said. “I don’t know how many times I’ll say it. I don’t know how much more clear I can be here. Tua is the starter. I mean, if I need to say it again, I will.”
The Dolphins have declined to confirm or deny reports they have engaged in trade talks to acquire Watson, who has been accused of sexual assault and harassment in lawsuits filed by 22 women. He has denied the allegations. Speculation regarding a possible trade has raised questions about Miami’s commitment to Tagovailoa, a top-five pick last year.
“Tua is our quarterback,” Flores said.
49ERS: Rookie quarterback Trey Lance’s injured finger is showing signs of healing and the San Francisco 49ers are hopeful he will be able to return to practice next week.
Lance hurt his finger when he was hit on his right hand by the helmet of Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Max Richardson on Sunday during an exhibition game.
Lance was diagnosed with a small chip fracture and is unable to practice this week.
VIKINGS: Minnesota is bracing for a season-long absence for on-the-rise tight end Irv Smith Jr., after knee surgery for a torn meniscus. Smith had the procedure done by team physician Dr. Christopher Larson after being injured in the team’s last exhibition game Friday at Kansas City.
He was in line for a breakout, his third in the NFL, on the heels of the departure of 10-year veteran Kyle Rudolph. Smith had 365 yards and five touchdowns in 13 games last season. The Vikings acquired tight end Chris Herndon in a trade Tuesday with the New York Jets to help reinforce the position. He’ll need some time to adjust to a new playbook, so Tyler Conklin is likely to take the lead when the Vikings start the season Sept. 12 at Cincinnati. Both Herndon and Conklin are in their fourth years in the NFL.
Smith had a full repair of the meniscus, coach Mike Zimmer said. That usually means a minimum four-month recovery, so the best-case scenario would be the Vikings making the playoffs and Smith being a fast healer.
The 2019 second-round draft pick from Alabama just turned 23, though, so there’s not going to be a rush to bring him back at the risk of future trouble.
JETS: The New York Jets released cornerback Bless Austin, surprisingly moving on from a projected starter in their young secondary. The 25-year-old Austin was entering his third season with the Jets, and was expected to start opposite Bryce Hall, who’s in his second year.
With Austin gone, second-year cornerback Javelin Guidry and rookies Brandin Echols, Jason Pinnock and Isaiah Dunn are in the mix to earn the starting job.
In other moves, the Jets claimed linebacker Quincy Williams – brother of New York defensive lineman Quinnen Williams – off waivers from Jacksonville, and defensive end Tim Ward from Kansas City. The Jets are also signing safety Sheldrick Redwine, a fourth-round pick of Cleveland in 2019, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus.
PANTHERS: Carolina released former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver David Moore and claimed guard Michael Jordan from the Cincinnati Bengals off waivers.
Moore signed a two-year contract with Carolina in March that included a $1.25 million signing bonus, which will count as dead money under the salary cap.
Moore caught 78 passes for 1,163 yards and 13 touchdowns with the Seahawks, but was beat out by Carolina rookie Terrace Marshall Jr. for the No. 3 receiver spot. Carolina also has stating wide receivers Robby Anderson and D.J. Moore and backups Shi Smith and Brandon Zylstra on the 53-man roster.
STEELERS: Defensive end Stephon Tuitt is dealing with a knee injury, leaving his status for the season opener against Buffalo uncertain.
Defensive coordinator Keith Butler did not get into specifics about the nature of the injury when asked, but did confirm it’s one of the reasons why Tuitt did not practice with the team at all during training camp.
BROWNS: With linebacker Jacob Phillips going on injured reserve, the Browns signed defensive end Joe Jackson, who was waived earlier this week.
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