There has been much made about the vaccination rate of the Washington Football Team. Washington entered training camp with the lowest vaccination rate among players in the NFL. Since the start of camp, Washington has put an increasing number of players in COVID-19 protocols.
The list continues to grow. On Sunday, Washington placed defensive tackle Daron Payne on the reserved/COVID-19 list. Payne becomes the seventh Washington player placed on the list.
Saturday, Washington added All-Pro guard Brandon Scherff and reserve offensive tackle David Sharpe on the COVID-19 list. The list also includes wide receiver Curtis Samuel, offensive tackle Cornelius Lucas, cornerback Chris Miller and defensive tackle Matt Ioannidis.
It’s unclear if the players have tested positive for the coronavirus or are deemed close contacts. The vaccination status of each player is also unclear.
Only unvaccinated players can be deemed “high risk close contacts,” according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Unvaccinated players must isolate for at least 10 days, whether symptomatic or not, according to Ben Standig of The Athletic. Fully vaccinated, asymptomatic players can return to training camp after two negative tests at least 24 hours apart.
Washington head coach Ron Rivera has stressed his frustration with the rate of vaccinations among the team. On Tuesday he expressed he was “beyond frustrated.”
Saturday, he said he asked the team what if this was ahead of the season opener?
Washington remains one of only two teams in the league with a player vaccination rate below 70% as of Saturday, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post.
Key players not being available to practice hampers coaches’ evaluations and preparation towards the season.
One week into training camp, and the team has lost seven players to COVID protocols. Washington’s first preseason game is set for Aug. 12 at the New England Patriots. At this point, the team can only cross their fingers to hope the list stops growing.
