NFLPA executive DeMaurice Smith wasn’t impressed by some recent comments from Buffalo Bills GM Brandon Beane.
Beane sent shockwaves through the NFL when he said it might be an advantage to cut players who aren’t vaccinated. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
NFL GM Says It’s An ‘Advantage’ To Cut Players Who Don’t Get The Vaccine https://t.co/KKSCQcYk5P
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) May 6, 2021
Well, Smith wasn’t impressed and tore into the comments Monday during the Sports Lawyers Association conference, according to Sports Business Journal (via ProFootballTalk).
Smith told people, “When a general manager speaks out and says something that is not only inconsistent with league policy, but just has a rank disregard for the rights of our players, I don’t know any other way of characterizing that other than just the stupidity that underlines it.”
Players and staff who aren’t fully vaccinated will be required to COVID test every day, and cannot do group activity while awaiting results. Players and staff who are fully vaccinated will only be required to test once a week, with no such restrictions. Continuing to incentivize.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) May 6, 2021
It’s worth noting that the NFL later contacted Beane, and informed the GM of the Bills that cutting someone who is unvaccinated wouldn’t be tolerated, according to ESPN.
I think we all knew that’s what the NFL would do, and it didn’t take long for the league to get involved.
Now in our 14th month of writing about stuff I never imagined I’d be writing about, here’s more on the NFL reaching out to Bills GM Brandon Beane to tell him he’s not allowed to cut a player just because the player isn’t vaccinated: https://t.co/PHXq1WGVLl
— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) May 7, 2021
At the end of the day, Beane said something incredibly stupid, and there’s no excuse for him threatening to cut guys who are unvaccinated.
Hell, I’m not even sure it’s necessary for Beane to even ask players their vaccination history, but cutting them is a step way too far.
Luckily, everything has been ironed out. Next time, he should think for a moment before popping off about ending careers over vaccines.