Buccaneers: Bruce Arians tells players “if you want normal, get vaccinated”

As expected, the subject of the COVID-19 vaccine is a hot-button issue in this country. Some jumped at the chance to get it right away, and some that are more skeptical. NFL players are no different. In the Tampa Bay Buccaneers case, head coach Bruce Arians made his thoughts on the matter abundantly clear.

The last couple of offseasons haven’t exactly fallen under the category of “normal.” Social distancing, meetings, and meals outdoors, amongst other safety precautions, were taken last year, with some still lingering here in 2021. Needless to say, a lot of people are sick of the abnormality, and wanting to go back to the way things were, or “normal.”

Some teams in the NFL, like the Washington Football Team, for example, have brought in immunologists to speak to players about vaccines. Arians did not feel the need to do that, however. On Thursday, Arians was quoted as telling his players “I am the specialist. If you want normal, get vaccinated.”

The Buccaneers currently are holding a vaccine drive that allows the players, and their families, to get vaccinated at the team facility. This is far from the first of its kind, as the Bucs have a goal of having at least 85% of the team vaccinated.

While the vaccine has been met with some skepticism from players, that doesn’t mean all. Shaq Barrett, who had to miss the 2020 season’s final game against the Atlanta Falcons due to being in close contact with a teammate who tested positive, says he and his wife Jordanna have both received the vaccine, their four children still being too young.

At the end of the day, when it comes to one’s health, it’s their body and their choice. This is a viewpoint Arians shares, but that doesn’t mean he can’t also still recommend the vaccine, especially if it’ll fulfill everyone’s wish of going back to normal.