One day after expressing he is “pro-choice” when it comes to vaccines against COVID-19, Bills wide receiver Cole Beasley dropped a rap song that has some questioning the authenticity of his statement.
In Beasley’s Thursday-released track, titled, “Heavy 1s,” he raps, “ain’t no vaccination for me.”
On Wednesday, Beasley told media, “I’m not anti- or pro-vax — I’m pro-choice,” during the start of training camp in Buffalo.
Since earlier this year, Beasley has been vocal about his choice not to receive a vaccine against COVID-19, despite the team’s push for players to be vaccinated.
Beasley, while reading a prepared statement from his phone, explained that he believes players aren’t being given proper information about vaccines.
“With that being said, the issue at hand is information being withheld from players in order for a player to be swayed in a direction he may not be comfortable with. When dealing with a player’s health and safety, there should be complete transparency regarding information that is vital in the decision-making process,” Beasley said.
“Without having all the proper information, a player can feel misguided and unsure about a very personal choice. It makes a player feel unprotected and gives concerns about future topics regarding health and our ability to make educated decisions.”
According to the NFL’s health and safety protocols regarding COVID-19, unvaccinated players face much stricter restrictions than vaccinated players. The league’s handling of COVID-19 protocols led to Beasley tweeting last month that he will continue to “live my one life like I want.“
On Wednesday, Bills general manager Brandon Beane said just over 80 percent of his players have received at least one vaccine dose. He added that he believes Beasley’s comments about vaccines won’t take away from the team’s focus during training camp.
“We’ve had an uptick of guys that have at least got one shot. So we’ll continue to educate,” Beane said. “At the end of the day, we’re not going to force it on any of our players or any of our staff. That’s a personal decision. And that’s how the organization will handle it going forward.”
In May, Beasley made headlines for tweets about his stance on vaccines and COVID-19. At the time, his comments came soon after Beane said it would “be an advantage” to cut an unvaccinated player in order to have lessened COVID-19 restrictions.
Beane wound up receiving a call from the NFL about his comments, informing him that a team may not release a player solely due to vaccination status.
In mid-April, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz announced that fans attending Bills games for the 2021 season are required to be vaccinated. He also noted he has spoken with Bills officials about the county’s new policy.
