Bears' Jimmy Graham takes aim at NFLPA over daily testing recommendation for vaccinated players
The memo said that since training camps began in late July, 32 vaccinated players/ staff have tested positive
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Chicago Bears tight end Jimmy Graham slammed the NFLPA on Thursday over its proposal of daily COVID-19 testing for vaccinated players, suggesting that he was "forced" to get the vaccine to begin with.
Graham, 34, tweeted his frustrations in response to a memo released by the Players Association that suggested increasing testing in response to the growing number of positive cases among vaccinated players.
Jimmy Graham #80 of the Chicago Bears runs the ball during a game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on November 08, 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The memo said that since training camps began on July 25, 65 players and staff have tested positive, and 32 of them were vaccinated.
"Was basically forced into getting the vaccine. Now I’m just confused," Graham’s tweet read.
"I’ve done everything I’ve been asked and now Feel like I’m being punished," he said in another tweet. "If I miss a test that you're proposing every day I’ll be fined a max 150k! How does this make sense? How's the punishment 100x worse than last year and I’m vaccinated now?"
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The memo, which was shared by Graham, also suggested that if an outbreak occurs, players and staff may be required to wear masks "regardless of vaccination status." Another recommendation included reducing the number of staff allowed into the locker room.
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The NFL updated its policy in June, essentially lifting most restrictions for vaccinated players but the NFLPA’s recommendations of daily testing and wearing masks, if approved, would reimplement those measures for vaccinated players.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Graham addressed the issue further in a press conference, taking aim at the NFLPA.
"I've been in the league going on 12 years now, and it's been kind of frustrating at times with them [the NFLPA]," he said, via ESPN. "I'm not going to hold back. I'm a grown man. And I wish somebody would talk to me and speak to me like a grown man and let me have a little bit of say in some things."
He even spoke out against the addition of an additional game this season, saying he was not in favor of it.
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"I'm about to go onto Week 17 playing for free as well. How does that make any sense? Who even petitioned for that? I certainly didn't."
Graham said getting the vaccine was a part of a "game plan" to make this season happen but Thursday’s memo seemed to undermine that.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I thought we also had a game plan going into this season, and now we're kind of redacting and retracting on that," he said. "So it's a bit frustrating for myself, who went out and got the vaccine just so I could, you know, do the same thing and have another successful healthy season. That's all I'm going to say about that."