NFL player Cole Beasley is refusing to take a COVID-19 vaccination, pushing back against the different sets of protocols put in place for vaccinated and unvaccinated athletes in the league.
The Buffalo Bills wide receiver shared the thinking behind his personal decision to forgo the inoculation in a tweet posted Friday.
“Hi, I’m Cole Beasley, and I’m not vaccinated,” he began his post. “I will be outside doing what I do. I’ll be out in the public. If you’re scared of me, then steer clear, or get vaccinated. Point. Blank. Period.”
Beasley went on to write he “may die of COVID,” but added he’d “rather die actually living,” noting he has “family members whose days are numbered” and “if they want to come see me and stay at my house, then they are coming, regardless of protocol.”
The protocol Beasley, 32, was referring to was recently unveiled by the NFL, according to the Associated Press.
While vaccinated players will be permitted to essentially return to pre-pandemic normalcy, where they will be free to travel without restrictions as well as interact with vaccinated friends and family, those who have not been inoculated will be required to undergo daily COVID-19 testing, will remain subject to mask mandates, and may not leave their team hotels to eat or interact with anyone — including family — during travel.
***As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up for Faithwire’s daily newsletter and download the CBN News app, developed by our parent company, to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***
Beasley’s greatest point of contention centers on why these draconian measures still apply to people like him, who are young, healthy, and at a very low risk of suffering from a serious infection.
“I’m not going to take meds for a leg that isn’t broken,” he wrote. “I’d rather take my chances with COVID and build up my immunity that way. Exercise and do what I think is necessary to be a healthy individual. That is my choice based on my experiences and what I think is best.”
He went on to write he’ll “play for free this year to live life how I’ve lived it from day one,” adding, “If I’m forced into retirement, so be it. I’ve enjoyed the times I’ve had. I’ll get to live freely with my wife, kids, and extended family forever.”
“We’d get to enjoy the times that we missed from the sacrifices we’ve had to make just so I could play this wonderful game,” the player continued. “So either way, it’s a win/win.”
Beasley said he decided to speak out because there are “a lot of other NFL players” who agree with him “but aren’t in the right place in their careers to be so outspoken.”
He said he wanted to do his part “to represent” them.
In a tweet posted the day before his announcement, Beasley suggested financial gain is the real reason the NFL is pressuring players to get vaccinated.
When sports radio host Jeff Cavanaugh asked Beasley to share his reasons for skipping the vaccine, the wide receiver replied, “Why does it matter what my reasons are? It’s a personal choice. That means I don’t have to explain to anyone why I do what I do, just like everything else in my life.
***As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up for Faithwire’s daily newsletter and download the CBN News app, developed by our parent company, to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***