10th NFL team hits 85 percent COVID-19 vaccination threshold

On the same day that MLB confirmed the New York Yankees may be dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak that reportedly includes All-Star Aaron Judge entering the league's health and safety protocols, Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk offered a positive update regarding the NFL's vaccination efforts. 

Williams noted an NFL source confirmed that 10 teams have now reached the 85% coronavirus vaccination threshold among players that allows for the loosening of health and safety guidelines. Additionally, 73% of NFL players have now received at least one shot. 

Both of those numbers have increased daily since Monday and should only go up as training-camp sessions open next week. 

The NFL and NFL Players Association aren't confirming which clubs have reached the 85% mark, but multiple reports have named the Pittsburgh Steelers, Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints and Denver Broncos among the 10 teams. Players and other employees are considered fully immunized 14 days after they've received either the second dose of a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or the single dose of Johnson & Johnson, and individuals not fully vaccinated will have to follow strict protocols similar to those used last season before shots were available to all employees. 

Neither the NFL nor NFLPA are mandating players be vaccinated to participate in the upcoming season, but those entities are urging all who remain unvaccinated to get jabbed as soon as possible to make their lives and the lives of teammates easier from late July through at least early January.