Rams' Jalen Ramsey won't pressure teammates to get vaccine

Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey (5 catches a pass during an offseason workout at SoFi Stadium.? Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

Rams CB Jalen Ramsey won't pressure teammates to get COVID-19 vaccine: 'It's a personal decision'

By Erin Walsh | Last updated 7/30/21

Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey told reporters Thursday that he will not pressure his teammates to get the COVID-19 vaccine ahead of the 2021 season despite the consequences the deadly virus could have on the team's season.

"I'm not pro-vax or anti-vax at all," Ramsey told reporters, according to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio. "It's a personal decision to me. The only reason I had tweeted something about it was because one of my friends had said, if you don't get the vax now, then you're just a bad teammate and I just quote tweeted it. My point of the tweet was to say, I won't think that you're a bad teammate because of your personal decision, whether you get it or not. I don't look at it like that. You know what I mean?"

Ramsey's comments come after he tweeted last week that the NFL is "pressuring" players to get vaccinated.

… whether you are vaccinated or not, there is still a chance of getting covid.
I thought my point was simple but I guess not lol
— Jalen Ramsey (@jalenramsey) July 22, 2021

Just because my teammate(s) personally decide not to get the vaccine, I won’t think they are a bad teammate. That’s all
It’s all love
— Jalen Ramsey (@jalenramsey) July 22, 2021

While players aren't required to get vaccinated, the NFL is making it harder for the unvaccinated. The league recently said in a memo that teams who have a COVID-19 outbreak among unvaccinated players will be forced to forfeit their postponed games if they cannot be rescheduled within the 18-week schedule.

Unvaccinated players will also be subject to a $14,650 fine every time they violate COVID-19 protocols.

According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, 85% of the league's players have received at least one shot, and 14 of the NFL's 32 clubs have vaccination rates over 90%.

More must-reads: