Christine Brennan Rips NFL Over News Asymptomatic Vaccinated Players Will No Longer Be Tested for Covid
USA Today sports columnist Christine Brennan ripped the NFL on CNN Saturday after the league announced it will immediately stop testing asymptomatic players who have been vaccinated against Covid-19.
CNN’s Jim Acosta asked Brennan about the breaking news as he interviewed her about the return of Tiger Woods to the golf course following his car accident earlier this year.
Acosta said, “We have to talk about breaking sports news. This has just come in to CNN. The NFL will stop mandating weekly Covid tests for asymptomatic, vaccinated players. The agreement was reached with the players association. It will still require unvaccinated players to be tested daily, though. Higher risk players have until Monday afternoon to opt out of the remainder of the season. Those who choose to opt out will not be paid.”
He asked Brennan, “Does this feel like a step towards finishing the season by finding fewer positive cases? Is that kind of what the NFL is going after here?”
Brennan ripped the league, telling Acosta that by administering fewer tests, the NFL is sending out the wrong message. According to the sports reporter, fewer tests will result in fewer cases. She speculated that is what professional football would like to see as it grapples with a late season Covid outbreak.
Brennan said, “I’ve covered the NFL for 30-some years. It is a little surprising they want to do less testing. Obviously it’s vaccinated players and players who are asymptomatic will not get the testing that they’ve been getting over the last few weeks and months. I don’t know, it seems to me you want to test more, not less. But if you do want to get the season in, that is a way to do it.”
Brennan added:
But is it helpful for the community? Is it the right message to send? …Probably the face of the league in terms of Covid is Aaron Rodgers, still. Lying, misleading — obviously couldn’t care less about being vaccinated. That’s a problem for the National Football League. Because Aaron Rodgers is going to be that kind of poster child for what they’ve been. Most of the players are vaccinated, they have done the right thing, but — you’re part of a community if you’re a football player. The NFL team is the big deal in that town. I guess this is the message they want to send. But to me I think more testing rather than less would the message you want want to send into your community as we’re facing these really difficult next few weeks.
The NFL this week postponed multiple games as players and one head coach were sidelined by positive Covid tests.
