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DeAndre Hopkins would rather retire than get COVID vaccine?
Chris Pedota via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Cardinals All-Pro WR DeAndre Hopkins would rather retire than get COVID-19 vaccine?

It was only a matter of time before NFL players would take to social media to respond to information in a memo that shows the league could force forfeits and withhold pay if games can't occur, as scheduled, during the upcoming season because of a COVID-19 outbreak among unvaccinated personnel. 

Arizona Cardinals All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins was among them, although he apparently had second thoughts and deleted an initial tweet suggesting he could consider retiring to avoid receiving a COVID-19 vaccine shot: 

Hopkins ultimately returned to Twitter to continue a rant that included a claim somebody he knows suffered an adverse effect from one of the vaccines widely proven to be safe: 

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Hopkins would owe the Cardinals $22 million in unearned signing bonus money if he chose to retire rather than play unvaccinated or get one of the vaccines before the start of the regular season. 

PFT added: 

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

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