Which NFL Teams Met the Vaccine Threshold?

The NFL has released its list of teams that have reached the 85% vaccinated threshold set by the league.

Introduction

The coronavirus pandemic has had a profound impact on the 2020 NFL season. The league was forced to postpone or reschedule several games due to positive COVID-19 cases among players and staff, and some teams have been forced to play games with diminished rosters due to quarantining protocols.

In an effort to mitigate the spread of the virus, the NFL established a vaccination program for players and team personnel. The league set a goal of having 80 percent of players and personnel vaccinated by June 1, but several teams fell short of that mark.

Here’s a look at which NFL teams met the vaccine threshold and which ones did not.

Teams that Met the Vaccine Threshold

According to the NFL’s COVID-19 protocols, teams must reach an 85% vaccination threshold in order to have virtual meetings and minimize in-person contact. Here are the teams that have met that threshold.

Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens are an American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The Ravens were established in 1996, when Art Modell, who was then the owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced plans to relocate the franchise from Cleveland to Baltimore in 1996. As part of a settlement between Modell and the city of Cleveland, Modell was required to leave the Browns’ name and colors in Cleveland for a future NFL franchise. Initial plans for the new stadium place it adjacent to Camden Yards. However, further financial difficulties led to modifications of these plans, which resulted in financing for a single stadium that would serve as home for both an MLB team—the Baltimore Orioles—and an NFL team—the Ravens.

The Ravens have been generally successful since their inception, winning two Super Bowl championships (Super Bowl XXXV and Super Bowl XLVII), two AFC North division championships (2003 and 2006), and qualified for the playoffs nine times. Since 2008, the Ravens have had seven former players inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame: linebacker Ray Lewis (played 1996–2012), linebacker/defensive end Michael Strahan (played 1993–2007; currently works for Good Morning America), defensive tackle Warren Sapp (played 1995–2007), offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden (played 1996–2007), safety Ed Reed (played 2002-2013), linebacker Terrell Suggs (played 2003-present), and head coach Brian Billick (coached 1999-2007).

Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills were the first team to meet the NFL’s new COVID-19 vaccine threshold, according to a person familiar with the situation.

The Bills have 85% of their players and staff vaccinated against COVID-19, which is the minimum required by the league for teams to have normal in-person offseason activities, including organized team activities and minicamps.

Chicago Bears

All NFL teams were required to have at least 85 percent of their players vaccinated for COVID-19 by last week, but the Chicago Bears were the only team to meet that threshold, according to a report.

The NFL has not released which teams met the vaccination threshold, but a source told ESPN that the Bears were the only team to do so. All 32 NFL teams were required to have at least 85 percent of their players vaccinated for COVID-19 by last week in order to avoid daily virus testing and enhanced protocols, but it appears that only one team managed to meet that threshold.

The news comes as several NFL players have voiced their displeasure with the league’s vaccine mandate, including Arizona Cardinals receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who said he “100 percent” does not plan on getting vaccinated.

Teams that Didn’t Meet the Vaccine Threshold

The NFL has a new rule this season: teams must have 85 percent of their players vaccinated for the flu in order to participate in games. This rule was put in place in order to protect players from the dangers of the flu, which can be a serious illness. However, not all teams have been able to meet this threshold.

Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals were the only team in the NFL to not meet the league’s vaccine threshold, according to a report.

Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s National Football Conference (NFC) East division. They are one of the most successful teams in the history of the NFL, having appeared in eight Super Bowls, tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Denver Broncos for second most Super Bowl appearances.

Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions were one of the teams that did not meet the vaccine threshold for the 2020 season. As a result, they were not able to participate in the season.

Conclusion

In order to ensure the safety of all players, coaches, and staff, the NFL has set a league-wide vaccine threshold of 80%. This means that at least 80% of all personnel associated with an NFL team must be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order for that team to participate in the 2021 season.

So far, only two teams have met this threshold – the Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets. Both teams have been vaccinated at a rate of 98%, which is well above the required 80%.

The remaining teams are all vaccinating at a rate of 70% or higher, which means they are on track to meet the league-wide vaccine threshold in time for the start of the season.