Did Urban Meyer cross the line by factoring in vaccination when making NFL cut decisions?
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer isn’t used to losing. He was a winning college football head coach before he came to the NFL–65-15 with the Florida Gators and 83-9 at The Ohio State University at his last two college stops. Meyer knows what it takes to win, and, I might add, he also wants to be in control. When he interviewed for the head coaching job with the Texas Longhorns, Meyer wanted full control of the athletic department. Texas never hired him, and he ended up at the pro level with the Jaguars.
Everybody knows that NFL coaches have difficult decisions to make when it comes to cutting players from the roster. Meyer did his job and got into trouble for doing it. It’s more accurate to say he got in trouble for how he did it.
In making cuts–Meyer mentioned at a press conference–he considered whether a player had been vaccinated. The National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) responded quickly, opening an investigation.
Is there a problem with what Meyer did?
Some people will argue that all players should be vaccinated even though the league doesn’t require players to be vaccinated. Vaccinations are a proven way to manage COVID-19 risks. Other people will argue that it isn’t right to take away a person’s job because they’ve opted not to get vaccinated. Performance should be the rule. Besides, it’s a person’s right to get vaccinated or not.
My take is that you shouldn’t force somebody to do x or y and, also, that you also shouldn’t base an employment decision (all or in part) on something unrelated to performance. The NFLPA opened up the investigation because Meyer was imposing his control on the player and, in so doing, he took away their individual rights.
How did the Jaguars respond? Management defended Meyer’s approach, using the concept of “availability” (to play) as the rationale.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Availability is one of the many factors taken into account when making roster decisions. We have vaccinated and unvaccinated players on our roster, and no player was released because of their vaccination status. Ultimately, decisions are based on a player’s ability to help the Jaguars win. We educate our players and respect personal decisions as it pertains to the vaccine. We want to keep our players, staff, and families safe as we comply with protocols related to both health and safety and competition on game days.
We’ll have to wait and see where this situation settles.
