Unvaccinated NFL player slams league's COVID protocols after testing positive for the virus

An unvaccinated NFL player who has been particularly vocal about his anti-vaccination beliefs has now tested positive for COVID-19. According to Mediaite, Cole Beasley, a wide receiver for the Buffalo Bill is currently experiencing "mild symptoms" as a result of the virus.

On Tuesday, December 21, Beasley announced his positive status in an Instagram post. Due to NFL COVID protocols for unvaccinated players, Beasley will be required to quarantine for a total of 10 days; a stipulation that comes at a critical point in the NFL seasons the Bills prepare for what will likely be one of the most important games of the season.

However, Beasley is pushing back against the league's protocols insisting COVID will not cause him to miss the upcoming game against the New England Patriots. He also criticized the league as he accused it of not adhering to its own policies.

“Just to be clear Covid is not keeping me out of this game,” Beasley wrote on Instagram. “The rules are. Vaxxed players are playing with Covid every week now because they don’t test. One of my vaxxed teammates is in the hospital missing games. I’m sure he didn’t get this same energy. Thank you for those who support. Everyone else, if you don’t get what’s happening then there is nothing anybody can do for you.”

With the message, he also included a caption with brief details about his condition as he thanks fans for their support.. "I am feeling fine with mild symptoms," Beasley wrote. "Thank you for the support. I look forward to being back out there with my teammates soon."

Beasley's positive status comes as his teammate Jon Feliciano also battles COVID. Earlier that day, the offensive linemen tweeted to share details about his sickness. He revealed he'd ended up in the emergency room over the weekend. Like 95% of NFL players,, Feliciano is vaccinated. But due to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, the league has seen an uptick in positive cases.