As teams continue to digest Thursday’s NFLPA memo regarding unvaccinated players, Dak Prescott shared his thoughts on the matter amid intensifying discussions.
The Cowboys star quarterback was asked Friday if he's received the vaccine, a question many players, including teammate Ezekiel Elliott, have been asked in the months leading to training camp.
Elliott, who contracted COVID-19 last summer, told reporters prior to Prescott's media session that he had been vaccinated because he wanted to be "in the best situation to be out there for my team week in and week out." Prescott's reply to the same question wasn't nearly as transparent.
"I don't necessarily think that's exactly important. I think that's HIPAA," Prescott said. "But I understand where Zeke comes from. I understand everybody's opinion, and I think everybody has that right. We wouldn't live in this country and we wouldn't be in the position we're in if that wasn't the case. Obviously, we all have to do a better job of educating ourselves, of educating our neighbors just on this whole pandemic, this whole situation, the vaccine.
"I know this team is going to get to the numbers, this team is going to do what we have to do to make sure that we're continually progressing through this thing the right way."
As stated by the NFLPA on Thursday, "if a game is cancelled/postponed because a club cannot play due to a Covid spike among or resulting from its non-vaccinated players/staff, then the burden of the cancellation or delay will fall on the club experiencing the Covid infection." The memo also mentioned that players on both teams will not be paid for any lost games under these circumstances.
Prescott disclosed that the team has discussed the competitive implications of getting vaccinated.
"There's small talks. Obviously, when you see certain guys come out and say certain things that they did on social, obviously that sparks conversations and things of that such," he shared. "As I said, I'm very confident in this team that we'll get to where we need to be and I know we're on that way to doing the best that we can to help each other, to help this team, to help the possibilities of this season."
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Wednesday that he is “very satisfied” with the team's vaccination rate ahead of camp. And, while it's unknown where Prescott stands in that number, Dallas appears to be trending in the right direction.
Only time will tell if they are able to meet and maintain adherence to the league's COVID protocols.
