Being unvaccinated is costing Buffalo Bills wide receiver Cole Beasley quite a bit of money. Beasley reportedly received fines totaling nearly $100,000 for repeated violations of the league’s COVID-19 policy, according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen.
One of those instances reportedly came in August, on a day when league officials came to review the team’s COVID-19 protocols.
Some of Beasley’s $14,600 were doubled by the league, leading to Beasley paying near $100,000 in fines, per Mortensen.
Beasley was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday. Since Beasley is unvaccinated, he must miss 10 days if he tested positive for COVID-19. If Beasley was vaccinated, he could return after one negative COVID-19 test as long as he was asymptomatic.
The Bills have not revealed whether Beasley tested positive for COVID-19, but he will miss the team’s game against the New England Patriots in Week 16. Beasley was not listed on the team’s roster before the contest.
The game has massive implications, as the Patriots sit a game ahead of the Bills in the AFC East. A Bills win would result in a tie at the top of the division. Both teams would then have two games remaining to try and pull ahead. With a loss, it would be extremely difficult for the Bills to win the AFC East.
Cole Beasley will get paid for missing Week 16
Under the NFL policy, Beasley will still receive a paycheck in Week 16. That policy was put in place by both the league and the NFLPA. Beasley, who makes $4.7 million in 2021, will be paid $261,111 for Sunday’s game.
That policy could be changed next season. Several league executives reportedly believe unvaccinated players should not be paid if they miss games due to COVID-19, per Mortensen.
Beasley made headlines over the summer for calling out the league’s COVID-19 rules. Beasley, who is not vaccinated, called himself pro-choice when it came to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.
Tuesday marked the second time Beasley was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Beasley was also placed on the list in August, when he was deemed a close contact with someone who tested positive. Sunday will mark the first game Beasley will miss due to being on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
