Bills’ Cole Beasley bashes NFL’s updated COVID-19 protocols in Twitter rant, calls NFLPA ‘a joke’

Cole Beasley is not a fan of the NFL’s new COVID-19 protocols.

The Bills receiver took issue with the league’s new policy that allows vaccinated players more freedom than unvaccinated players. The rule adjustments are as follows, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Most notable among the NFL’s new rules is that vaccinated players are no longer subjected to daily COVID testing. In addition, vaccinated players don’t have to quarantine after a high-risk exposure to COVID.

Meanwhile, unvaccinated players are not allowed to leave the hotel during team road trips while vaccinated players can do so and interact with vaccinated family and friends.

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After seeing these protocols, Beasley released a series of tweets ripping them and referred to the NFL Players Association as “a joke.”

 Beasley went on to explain that he believes that the NFL is only enforcing these rules because it gives the league “the freedom to make the most money as possible again.”

While Beasley is among the unvaccinated Bills at the moment, coach Sean McDermott said recently that the team is “moving in the right direction” as they look to reach the 85 percent staff threshold to reopen their facility in full.

“We’re trying to do our best to educate, build awareness, but at the end of the day, the players that you’re referring to have to make their own decision,” McDermott said, per Marcel Louis-Jacque of ESPN. “We feel like we know that in our country and around the league where and how things are improving. And to me, there’s a direct correlation to people getting vaccinated. Again, I would like to continue to see our team move in that direction. Continue to move an increased number of people that are getting vaccinated.

“I certainly respect everyone’s position. That being said, that’s really where I’m at and where we’re at. It’s good to have the guys here. But I think the reality of our situation is that now — but also for sure come the fall — training camp protocols are going to continue to be enforced, in particular for those who are unvaccinated as it relates to the masking and the different things that are in place. Just trying to be real about it and make sure people understand what normal is gonna look like, in particular for those who are unvaccinated come the fall.”

UPDATE: Beasley tweeted Friday that he met with the NFLPA and that the sides are “working through it.” He added that, “from what I’ve been told,” the protocols are only for the preseason and “it’s nothing final.”

A few hours later, he posted a “Public Service Announcement” on Twitter, saying he was going to “live my one life like I want to regardless.”