There is no more polarizing issue in the NFL right now than that of player vaccinations. This is actually one of the hottest topics in the country today, so it isn't surprising that America's No. 1 sport is also going through the same cycle. As it turns out, the Indianapolis Colts have taken a clear stance on the issue.
Chris Ballard, the general manager of the Colts, went on the record on Wednesday to say that any unvaccinated player on his team should be ready to face the consequences of their decision:
“There's consequences to not being vaccinated,” Ballard said, via Mike Wells of ESPN. “Do I think everybody should be vaccinated? Absolutely. I'm for the vaccine. (Coach) Frank (Reich) is for the vaccine. We have a lot of guys on our team who are for the vaccine. Is it 100% perfect? No. But it's a good thing.”
Ballard went on to discuss the many benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine while also reiterating how he believes that every single member of the Colts organization should just get it done. However, Ballard also made it abundantly clear that he does not intend to take drastic measures to force his beliefs on his players:
“Look, I can beat my head against the wall,” Ballard said. “I can go in there and raise all kinds of hell and go off. That's not how we roll. I believe in our guys. I believe in what they stand for and I'll stand by them. We'll continue to work on the vaccinations. It's not like we're done educating … But they understand they have to take care of the protocols at hand and they have to live by them. And we'll do that at the best of the ability we can do it.”
The Colts aren't the only team that is taking a hard stance on vaccination. Urban Meyer and the Pittsburgh Steelers are also seeing to it that their players are getting vaccinated. The Steelers reportedly factored in a player's vaccination record in their roster cuts, so it is clear that Meyer and Co. aren't messing around.
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