Vikings assistant coach Rick Dennison out after refusing COVID-19 vaccine, per report

Rick Dennison got no shot, and now he has no job.

Dennison, Vikings assistant coach and run-game coordinator, is out of a job after refusing to receive the coronavirus vaccine, per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin.

From Cronin’s report, it’s unclear whether Dennison left on his own or was fired for the incident, but Cronin notes that he is the first coach to “leave his team” amid refusal of the vaccine.

NFL rules dictate that all Tier 1 employees — coaches, players — must be vaccinated or lose privileges pertaining to the team, such as on-field access. All Tier 1 employees must provide valid medical or religious reasons for vaccine refusal. 

MORE: NFL sets strict rules for coronavirus-canceled games for 2021

The NFL is taking the coronavirus and punishments for vaccines very seriously in 2021: Should a postponed game not be rescheduled within the 18-week regular season, then the team from which the outbreak originated will be handed a loss. Both teams will lose game checks for the cancelation.

Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer, recently said 80 percent of NFL players have had at least one shot of the vaccine, which has been proven to be safe and effective in preventing severe cases of coronavirus and hospitalizations.

Dr. Sills also revealed that seven teams are above the 90 percent vaccination threshold, with five teams at less than 70 percent. The magic number for restrictions to be lifted among teams is 85 percent.

One thing is for sure, though: For whatever reason, Dennis is 100 percent not vaccinated, and now he’s out of a job.

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