The NFL Has Spies Keeping Tabs on Unvaccinated Players. And it Just Cost the Bills' Isaiah McKenzie $14K for Not Wearing a Mask

David J Phillip. Shutterstock Images.

If you thought Cam Newton missing five days and three practices at Patriots camp was all the proof you'd need that the NFL is not kidding around when it comes to treating vaccinated and unvaccinated players differently, then you don't know the half of it. Based on what happened to Bills wideout Isaiah McKenzie, the league is so intent on making examples of unvaccinated guys that they're going to any lengths they have to. Including, spying on them:

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Look, this is not about debating the merits of the vaccine. And just to take this part of it out of the conversation, I got my shots the first chance I could. But regardless of where you stand on the issue, this is kind of chilling, isn't it? That a huge conglomerate is spying on its employees is the kind of thing that used to alarm people. Back in a time when civil liberties were still a priority. But I guess a generation raised knowing that they're never not on a surveillance camera is comfortable with the idea of always being watched. So the fact that in Roger Goodell totalitarian regime, it's always 1984 and it's expected that Big Ginger is watching you. 

But it's one thing if you work in a bank or a convenience store and you know there are security cameras rolling 24/7. It's another thing when a player is getting this level of monitoring:

They know all of McKenzie's movements and tracked his whereabouts down to the minute. Which begs the question, how? Do they have Unvaccinated Protocols Compliance Officers on the premises? If so, are they in plain sight? Hiding in trash barrels? Watching the players through eyeholes cut in a newspaper? Or are they using paid informants? Double agents? Or have they simply hacked into every team's CCTV feed and monitor them from Park Avenue like the White House briefing room watching in real time the raid on Bin Laden?

And McKenzie isn't the only player at his position on his team to run afoul of Big Ginger's Vax Police:

Again, this is not to defend or attack McKenzie and Beasley's vaccine reluctance. Like I've said though, when you start vilifying people for this decision, and paint them as a bunch of backward ignoramuses, I think the question to ask is why 47 or so percent of American adults don't trust our institutions enough to get this shot. And hold the people who made the institutions - governmental, business, medical, pharma, the media - so hard to trust. But that's off topic. 

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The point here is that the NFL is going to come with they've (collectively bargained) got on these guys until they buy in. Goodell is determined to get 100% compliance. And if it takes suspensions, fines, and out right spying to convince these objectors to give in and decide their stance is not worth the hassle, he's willing to do it. And more. Which makes you wonder how many guys on the roster bubble will just be released because teams don't want to deal with all this.  These remaining holdouts are in for a long ass year.