Former Buffalo Bills wide receiver Cole Beasley has become renowned for his hostile stance on the COVID-19 vaccine. Beasley famously refused to get jabbed at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and was repeatedly fined up to $100,000 for violating pandemic protocols.
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This week, former White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci faced a tense Senate hearing about his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination over 100 times, prompting committee chairman Sen. Rand Paul to schedule a vote on a resolution to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress.
As the Fauci hearing gripped the country, one football fan on X praised Beasley for his stance on the COVID-19 vaccine. Beasley quoted the post with a winking face emoji.
“It brings me such joy and satisfaction knowing that we can all say Cole Beasley was right @Bease11. Not that he was the only one. He just wasn’t scared to use his platform while all these idiots were guilting other into getting the jab,” the fan wrote.
— Cole Beasley (@Bease11) July 31, 2026
In June 2021, Beasley revealed that he had not been vaccinated and would not be vaccinated even if it meant the end of his playing career. He then doubled down on his stance during a news conference.
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“I’m not anti- or pro-vax, I’m pro-choice,” Beasley said. “With that being said, the issue at hand is information being withheld from players in order for a player to be swayed in a direction he may not be comfortable with.
“When dealing with a player’s health and safety, there should be complete transparency regarding information that is vital in the decision-making process. Without having all the proper information, a player can feel misguided and unsure about a very personal choice. It makes a player feel unprotected and gives concerns about future topics regarding health and our ability to make educated decisions.”
In 2021, the NFL and NFLPA introduced new COVID-19 protocols for training camp and the preseason. In the newly set protocols, fully vaccinated players were allowed to train normally and were exempt from quarantine even after exposure to infected people.
On the other hand, unvaccinated players would have to submit to the set restrictions and would face steep penalties and fines if found to have violated the rules.
He left Buffalo and joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before retiring for the first time in late 2022. He briefly unretired to join the Bills for a second stint later that season, and then signed with the New York Giants before requesting and being granted his release from their practice squad in 2023.
