Cole Beasley will not play in Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots after he tested positive for COVID-19, and it sounds like the Buffalo Bills receiver has been dealing with COVID-related issues all season.
According to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, Beasley has been fined in the range of $100,000 this season for various violations of the NFL’s COVID protocols. The first fine was for $14,600 back in August, when Beasley and more than two dozen players were disciplined for not wearing masks and/or their refusal to wear a tracking device. Mortensen says that $14,600 fine has doubled on multiple occasions for Beasley when he was caught via the NFL’s video monitoring.
The $14,600 fine has been doubled on more than one occasion via video monitoring by the league. One source estimated the $100,000 total sum, another source believed it was just short of that amount.
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) December 26, 2021
Mortensen noted that Beasley will still collect his game check for Week 15, which is more than $250,000. The NFL is expected to explore the possibility of not paying unvaccinated players who land on the reserve/COVID-19 list next season.
There are several team execs who believe it's one loophole that needs to be revisited for 2022, believing an unvaccinated player who lands of the Covid-19 reserve list should not be paid if he misses a game or games.
This is the first time Beasley has landed on the list.— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) December 26, 2021
Beasley has faced a great deal of criticism for taking an open stance against the COVID-19 vaccine. He issued a statement this week saying he feels well enough to play and calling out the NFL for its hypocrisy in handling COVID cases.
Cole Beasley has released statement on his IG account. Says he’s feeling fine and only experiencing mild symptoms. #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/AXOuEYOWBy
— Matt Parrino (@MattParrino) December 21, 2021
The vast majority of NFL players who have tested positive for COVID have been asymptomatic. That is likely one of the reasons the league recently made a significant change to its testing protocol.
Photo: Oct 31, 2021; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Cole Beasley (11) warms up prior to the game against the Miami Dolphins at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
