According to multiple reports, a total of five Buffalo Bills players have all been sent home from team facilities after being deemed a close contact to a team trainer who has tested positive for COVID-19. This list of players include wide receivers Cole Beasley and Gabriel Davis, defensive tackle Star Lotulelei, and linebackers A.J. Klein and Matt Milano.
Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News and ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter have been contributing to this developing story.
According to both reporters, all five players have tested negative for COVID-19 on Tuesday, but they still must serve a five-day re-entry process to the facility in Orchard Park.
If all five Bills players were both vaccinated against COVID-19, they would not have to go through the five-day waiting period to return to action. However, according to the league’s COVID-19 protocols, unvaccinated players must undergo the five-day period if they are deemed close contacts of someone who has tested positive for the virus.
Beasley has been quite outspoken about the COVID-19 vaccine, taking to social media on multiple occasions to voice his opinions. At the start of training camp, he released a statement on the matter, saying "I'm not anti- or pro-vax, I'm pro-choice."
As for Lotulelei, he opted out of the 2020 NFL season due to COVID-19 concerns.
Given the timeline of their re-entry period, all five players will be unavailable for Saturday's preseason finale against the Green Bay Packers at Highmark Stadium.