Vikings coach Mike Zimmer has told his players that they’re going to have a harder time this year if they’re unvaccinated. Vikings cornerback Patrick Peterson hopes all his teammates got the message.
Peterson said on his podcast that unvaccinated players are putting themselves at risk of having to miss games, either because they get COVID-19 or because they have close contacts with people who do, and that if you’re taking that risk, you’re not doing everything you can to help your team win.
“Why not put yourself in the best position possible to win a championship?” Peterson said.
Peterson noted that unvaccinated players will have to go through all the COVID-19 safety protocols that players went through last year, while fully vaccinated players will have far more freedom.
“If you’re not vaccinated you’re just living in a different world,” Peterson said. “Why put yourself at risk of going through that again?”
Peterson said he had no side effects from the vaccine.
“I am vaccinated,” Peterson said. “I was perfectly fine.”
That’s true of most people who get vaccinated. The vaccine has proven safe and effective, and players who aren’t getting vaccinated are letting unfounded fears prevent them from doing what’s best for themselves and their teams.