Cory's Corner: Can't It Just Be 2019 Again?
No matter how you feel about it, vaccinations will become an issue this season.
Nobody wants to talk about it.
But the elephant in the room this year will be who is vaccinated.
The good news is that 78 percent of all NFL players have had at least one shot. However, if a starter gets COVID, that could spell instant trouble.
Vaccinated players who test positive and are asymptomatic, can return after two negative tests 24 hours apart. For those that are unvaccinated, it’s back to the 2020 rules with a 10-day quarantine.
“Yeah, I’ve been immunized,” Aaron Rodgers said. “There’s guys on the team that haven’t been vaccinated. I think it’s a personal decision, I’m not gonna judge those guys.”
He’s right, it doesn’t do any good to judge. However, if you are someone like Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins, how can you lead your team if there’s a chance that you could miss potentially two games?
This season is going to be strange because it will seem like it is being played in some type of Twilight Zone. For the vaccinated players, they will have the freedom to come and go as they please. But for the unvaccianted players, their whereabouts will be monitored closely.
Some argue about fairness, but at the same time, is it right for the NFL to put games and the season on hold this year when there is something that can be done to defend the virus? And that’s why the NFL has stated that it will play the 272-game schedule over 18 weeks. Which means, if a team cannot reschedule a game due to COVID-19, then that game will be counted as a forfeit — with players from both teams not getting paid.
That’s a hard line in the sand for the NFL, but it’s one that had to be made. The NFL wants to turn the page and the only way to do that is by making sure that everyone is held accountable for this.
I said that 2020 was arguably the toughest year for NFL head coaches, but I would argue that 2021 will be even tougher. Remember, there are split locker rooms all across the league. The Washington Football Team had a 50 percent vaccination rate at the start of camp, but it sits at 90 percent now. Even those that changed their minds in the last couple of weeks may hold lingering thoughts.
The last thing anyone wants to see when they turn on an NFL game is a list of notable NFL players that cannot play because of COVID.
The Packers would not be the same team without guys like Rodgers, Davante Adams, Aaron Jones, Rashan Gary, Kenny Clark and Jaire Alexander. If COVID took those guys away, Green Bay isn’t even close to the same team. And that goes for the entire NFL.
“It's an interesting issue that I think we will see played out through the entire season,” Rodgers said.
Unfortunately, he’s right. We will be talking about this all year and it’s going to affect some teams. If it affects enough teams, a team may make or miss the playoffs because of it. =
I definitely don’t want that. I just want things decided on the field — like good old 2019.
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Cory Jennerjohn is a graduate from UW-Oshkosh and has been in sports media for over 15 years. He was a co-host on "Clubhouse Live" and has also done various radio and TV work as well. He has written for newspapers, magazines and websites. He currently is a columnist for CHTV and also does various podcasts. He recently earned his Masters degree from the University of Iowa. He can be found on Twitter: @Coryjennerjohn
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Comments (14)
LambeauPlain
August 28, 2021 at 10:11 am
This is not an issue of who is vaccinated and un-vaccinated....it is about who is immune and who is not immune.
Natural immunity in recovered covid patients is very powerful and taking the vaccine after having natural immunity will render the natural protection as mostly ineffective as the artificial immunity takes over, according to immunologists.
How many NFL players, not vaccinated, are covid recovered? They do not need the vaccine....already protected.
Israel recently released a study that showed natural immunity was almost 7 times more effective vs covid/delta vs the vaccine.
Packers0808
August 28, 2021 at 07:41 pm
Why would anyone pass on false information and political lies on a sports page? If you can't say the truth at least say nothing!
Leatherhead
August 28, 2021 at 10:12 am
Freedom of choice is a good thing. Forcing, coercing, or bullying people to do things they don’t want to do so others can benefit is wrong.
Vaccinations are available. So are treatments. So are preventatives. And of course, the miracle mask that stops ten percent of the virus. Live your lives. You have a better chance of being attacked by a wild animal than dying from this stuff,
Crankbait
August 28, 2021 at 10:31 am
As long as Americans allow the government to control their lives, the government will control our lives.
Politicians are poison to freedom and liberty. The only cure was President Donald Trump and other like-minded PATRIOTS.... not politicians, and we all witnessed first hand what DC and the media did to him.
Wake up people before it's too late. This China virus scam is much much bigger than our beloved Packers.
Now those on the left on this blog.... go ahead and show your "tolerance" to other opinions.... I can take it. 😉
I hope other NFL players like Cole Beasley stand up and speak out against this tyranny.
PatrickGB
August 28, 2021 at 11:45 am
NFL players are simply a part of the larger American population. The players are a reflection of what a lot of citizens believe. It’s a real tough decision to make as to the guidelines and choices. The best decisions are often the toughest. I understand and support both sides of the argument. A good democracy does that.
Since'61
August 28, 2021 at 02:48 pm
I was happy to see the NFL set a policy on Covid vaccinations as opposed to doing nothing or waiting until it was too. However, I also believe their rules may have gone too far. Punishing 2 teams without pay and forcing a forfeit is a bit much. I would have preferred to see the individuals who cause the outbreaks to be suspended without pay rather than punish both teams if it comes to that.
Vaccinations are critical to defeating this virus. I respect that we all have the right to choose but there are consequences to our choices. A person may be willing to risk illness and death by not being vaccinated. But there are other consequences. Such as the first responders who take that person to the hospital. Then there are the risks to the medical professionals and most importantly there are the resources that are taken from emergency cases like heart attacks and accident victims. These people are left waiting for ICU beds and treatment while unvaccinated Covid patients are filling up emergency rooms and ICUs.
There is no excuse for this. We have the right to choose but we don’t have a right to put other people’s lives at risk.
If we want to get back to 2019 we need to defeat the virus. The way to defeat the virus is via vaccinations.
My son and daughter-in-law are both doctors and have been on the front lines of this pandemic. They have seen patients die and they have seen patients survive with long term damage to major organs and/ or brain function. All of which could have been avoided with a vaccination.
I remember a time in this country when our population would have complied with medical advice rather than politicize this issue. Forget the politicians most are vaccinated including their families.
Take care of yourselves and stay safe. Thanks, Since ‘61
Leatherhead
August 28, 2021 at 04:06 pm
Every time you get behind the wheel of a car, you’re putting other people’s lives at risk.
Get vaccinated, distance, and wear as many masks as you want. Don’t tell me I have to do the same thing to make you safe.
Since'61
August 28, 2021 at 10:23 pm
Except we all wear seat belts when we drive, plus we have airbags and numerous other safety features like brakes and crumble zones, collapseable steering columns, etc... All of which we have no choice about. So I have no chance to tell you what to do to be safe when it comes to driving. It's already been done for us. Besides we have about 38,000 deaths due to auto accidents per year. In 18 months we have over 637,000 deaths from Covid in the US. That's about 425,000 deaths in 12 months or almost 12 times as many auto deaths annually. Also, only 3 people have died from the vaccine compared with the aforementioned 637,000+ deaths from unvaccinated Covid -19 deaths.
Also since 99+% of current Covid cases are unvaccinated people in the hospital there may not be an ambulance, ICU bed or doctor available to respond if we do have an auto accident.
I'm not telling you that you need to do anything to keep others safe. For now, you have made your choice and no one is requiring you to change. Although getting tested regularly would be a wise move. I'm just saying that if we want to return to 2019 or the pre-pandemic days we need to defeat this virus or we are stuck with it and it won't be a matter of it we get Covid it will only be a matter of when.
Hopefully LH you will not get Covid. Especially if you remain at home and avoid large crowds when you do go out.
But this Delta variant is very transmissible and very deadly. So be careful, stay safe and be well. Thanks, Since '61
Leatherhead
August 28, 2021 at 10:35 pm
I’m out and about. I practice good hygiene. I got vaccinated because I thought it would be a good move. I don’t have the right to force anybody to think the same way.
Make your own choices. Force engenders resistance. Resist Totalitarianism.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
When you say the new variant is very deadly….to whom? Vaccinated people? Fat people? Old people? No. And with an overall 99.995 survival rate ? No.
Irish_Cheesehead
August 28, 2021 at 01:01 pm
I wouldn’t be surprised to see the NFL mandate vaccines now with FDA approval. The NFL doesn’t mess around. Let’s move past this and play football!
Crankbait
August 29, 2021 at 06:14 am
The government and the media will never allow "us" to get past this as long as "this" is politically useful to them.....and as long as people don't fight back.
Irish_Cheesehead
August 29, 2021 at 08:28 pm
If people were all intelligent and just got a simple vaccination we would be well past this, but you can’t fix stupid.
Postman
August 29, 2021 at 08:09 pm
How many of you have had Mumps, Measles, Chickenpox, Small Pox and any of the other virus? I had Mumps, Red Measles and Chickenpox when I was under 6 when I had all of them. They were not fun for me to have and were sick for about a week with them all. Small Pox Measles and Mumps are now not a worry because of the vaccines and have been eradicated from the world. Stop making excuses for people with do not want to get vaccinated. The NFL should mandate the players to be vaccinated. AJ Dillion I am sure was the first in line to get vaccinated when it became available.
Vaccination should not be a choice. For the people that choose not be vaccinated they should not be cover by insurance if they become sick. The Non-Vaccinated are costing our country and medical system a ton of money. Why should thinking people pay for stubborn individuals that do not think about anyone but themselves?
I got vaccinated as soon as I could. My daughter and I had no side affects. My wife was sick for a day. This is really not a personal choice. It is a societal good that should be embraced by everyone.
Swisch
August 29, 2021 at 09:50 pm
A couple of resources: America's Frontline Doctors, and Alex Berenson.
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If the people who are vaccinated are truly protected, why would they care if others don't get vaccinated?
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Is it true that the people who are vaccinated can still get COVID, and still spread it to others?
Does the vaccination even work by preventing COVID, or it just supposed to make the illness less severe?
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What are the odds of an NFL player dying from COVID or having a serious health problem from it in the long term?
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Does it seem that there are going to be endless variants of COVID, requiring endless vaccinations or boosters, resulting in endless restrictions?
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Should the NFL require vaccinations for the flu?
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I don't claim to be an expert on COVID, but wish that people would discuss the matter more charitably. Please address the concerns of many Americans about the vaccine with respect and reasonableness. Don't just say we're idiotic and evil.
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If I die from not getting the vaccine, I still don't regret my decision. We all have to go sometime. I made the best choice I could at the time.
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It seems the vaccine can cause long-term health problems and even death. I seems once the vaccine is injected into a person, it can't be taken out of a person. It seems there are risks involved with getting the vaccine as well as with not getting the vaccine.
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I'm more concerned about COVID restrictions than COVID.
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My sincere best to all of the Packers fans here at CheeseheadTV, as well as the staff, including good health.