NFL Team Becomes First in League to Have Every Player Vaccinated Against COVID-19

One NFL team reached a huge mark when it comes to battling COVID-19. On Monday evening, the Atlanta Falcons announced every player on the roster is fully vaccinated, making them the first team in the NFL to reach that mark. Zach Klein, sports director for WSB in Atlanta, first reported the news, and the Falcons confirmed the report.

“The Falcons reached a 92-percent vaccination rate on July 23, and now have every player on the roster protected against COVID-19,” the Falcons said in a statement. “Each player will now enjoy the benefits of being able to work out and eat together. They won’t have to test daily, won’t have to wear masks around the facility and won’t have to quarantine following a close contact with someone who tests positive.”

According to Pro Football Talk, all 32 NFL teams had a vaccination rate of over 75%. 15 teams were above 95% and 10 were above 90%. The Falcons’ announcement comes one month after NFL commissioner Roger Goodell sent a warning to teams with non-vaccinated players that they would have to forfeit games that are rescheduled because of a COVID-19 outbreak.

“If a game is canceled/postponed because a club cannot play due to a Covid spike among or resulting from its non-vaccinated players/staff, then the burden of the cancellation or delay will fall on the club experiencing the Covid infection,” the memo states, per NFL.com. “We will seek to minimize the burden on the opposing club or clubs. If a club cannot play due to a Covid spike in vaccinated individuals, we will attempt to minimize the competitive and economic burden on both participating teams.”

There have been a few players who publicly speak out against being vaccinated. Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins is one of the few players to be outspoken on vaccines and masks, and he believes he knows what needs to be done in order to not get COVID-19.

“I think the vaccination decision is a private health matter for me, and I’m going to keep it as such,” Cousins said earlier this month, per NFL.com. “I do believe that as a leader of the team it’s very important to follow the protocols to avoid this close contact because that is what it’s going to come down to. Did you have close contact? So I’m going to be vigilant about avoiding close contact.”