TAMPA, Fla. -- In a tweet that was put out Thursday and later deleted, Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette indicated he didn't want to get vaccinated for COVID-19. But on Sunday he said his decision wasn't set in stone and he is open to the idea.
"I just don't know too much about it," Fournette said after the team's first training camp practice.
Coach Bruce Arians said that rather than bringing in a specialist to address the team's concerns about the vaccine as a whole -- which Washington Football Team coach Ron Rivera did -- the team would make doctors available to address individual players' concerns. Fournette plans to take him up on that.
"I'm going to talk to them, and just see what's the best decision, for myself and for the team," Fournette said, adding that if he doesn't get the vaccine, he's prepared to undergo the far more restrictive COVID-19 unvaccinated player protocols that significantly impact team and social activities away from football.
"We went over the rules yesterday," Fournette said. "I know what's going on, I know what to do and what not to do."
He said he does not believe that he will be impacted in any way from a football standpoint, despite restrictions like not being able to gather with teammates outside the facility, no access to the sauna or steam room and only cold tub usage when social distancing can be followed. Failure to abide by those rules can result in a fine of $14,650 for each infraction.
"I know a lot of people who got the shot and still got the corona," Fournette. "Just taking it day-by-day, week-by-week, talking to the doctors, trying to figure out what's best for myself and the team."
Fournette said he has felt the support of teammates and coaches.
"Coach [Arians] respects our decision," Fournette said. "We're men. He said he's 100% with us, whatever we want to do. Just don't get the team sick. That's about it."
The Bucs were one of the few teams last year that did not see a significant COVID-19 outbreak, with Arians emphasizing throughout the season that they "needed to beat the virus" and not just their weekly opponents. The start of 2021 training camp had a similar feel, even as restrictions have loosened and fans have been welcomed back to practice.
"It's always on your mind," Arians said. "Florida's a hot spot in the nation. Hillsborough [County] and Pinellas [County] were No. 1 for a while. ... Guys still have to be smart. We talked a lot about the delta variant and what it means, what rules you are following if your wristband's red and your wristband's yellow."