ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Buffalo Bills receivers Cole Beasley and Gabriel Davis must spend at least five days away from the team facility after having close contact with a trainer who tested positive for COVID-19, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
That means Beasley and Davis will miss the Bills’ final preseason game on Saturday, when Buffalo hosts the Green Bay Packers.
The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because the Bills did not immediately return a message seeking comment on the development first reported by the New York Daily News.
Both Beasley and Davis tested negative for COVID-19 but were required to leave the Bills facility and follow the NFL and NFLPA’s five-day reentry protocols before they can rejoin the team, the person said.
Only unvaccinated players are subject to what’s referred to as the five-day reentry cadence. Unvaccinated players are tested daily, while fully vaccinated players are required to be tested once every 14 days.
Beasley has been an outspoken critic against vaccinations and the league’s COVID-19 policies. In June, he posted a statement on social media threatening to retire after the NFL and NFLPA announced new rules for vaccinated and unvaccinated players.
He opened training camp by reading from a statement in which he repeatedly referred to a lack of transparency and information on vaccinations. Beasley’s comments contradicted those by Bills coach Sean McDermott, who has said the team has done everything it can to educate players.
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