Bills WR Cole Beasley, DE Jerry Hughes debate vaccinations

Outspoken Buffalo Bills receiver Cole Beasley is mixing it up with his teammates as he sticks to his stance of remaining unvaccinated for COVID-19. Beasley has reiterated his beliefs about vaccination since the NFL announced Thursday that games could be forfeited this season if an outbreak is due to unvaccinated players. Bills defensive end Jerry Hughes defended the new policy when former NFL safety Darius Butler called the NFL dead wrong and said the league didn't conduct enough research. "Sooo the top scientists in the entire world got together to figure out how to combat Covid-19. And when they came up with a vaccine, you question them. They are trying to save lives and you have doubt?" Hughes said. Hughes also tweeted, "Some ppl have an underlying health conditions, so they are at risk if an outbreak happens." Beasley took issue with Hughes' response. "Jerry so if a vaccinated player gives an unvaccinated player with underlying conditions covid it's cool though? And the player with underlying conditions gets blamed for it. From minority to the majority now the minorities don't matter?" Beasley tweeted. Replied Hughes: ""You would think someone with underlying health conditions Would get the vaccine to prevent future complications if they got Covid. Now I understand freedom of choice. But our job has put rules in place. Rules are rules." Buffalo receiver Emmanuel Sanders got vaccinated on Friday and displayed his card on Instagram. One of his lines may have been directed at Beasley. "Accountability. Availability. Don't have time to deal with no bs during the season. #Chasinggreatness," Sanders said. Pro Bowl wideout Stefon Diggs also got vaccinated since the NFL released the new policy. Meanwhile, the Bills will hold their first training camp practice on Wednesday and it will be interesting to see how the situation plays out. Especially because Beasley has insisted he will not be softening his stance. "I'm not going to take meds for a leg that isn't broken," Beasley recently wrote. "I'd rather take my chances with Covid and build up my immunity that way. Eat better. Drink water. Exercise and do what I think is necessary to be a healthy individual. "This is MY CHOICE based on MY experiences and what I think is best. I'll play for free this year to live life how I've lived it from day one. If I'm forced into retirement, so be it." The 32-year-old Beasley is coming off a season in which he recorded career highs of 82 receptions and 967 yards. He also had four touchdown catches. Overall, Beasley has 468 catches for 5,016 yards and 33 touchdowns in 133 games (42 starts) over nine seasons with the Dallas Cowboys (2012-18) and Bills. --Field Level Media