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The NFL has been slowly turning up the heat on unvaccinated players over the past several months. From only letting vaccinated players resume normal activities to assigning forfeits to teams with Covid-19 breakouts, and now spying on unvaccinated players, the NFL has been keeping a short leash on COVID protocols.
With those protocols in mind, Buffalo Bills wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie was fined $14,650 this week for not wearing a mask... twice. In the notice, the NFL outlined two separate instances where it caught the receiver failing to wear a mask.
After McKenzie posted the notice on Twitter, Cole Beasley stated that the NFL had fined him as well. It appears both players were both fined $14,650. Both players could face additional fines if they continue to resist the mask mandate.
How did the NFL know Isaiah McKenzie and Cole Beasley were without masks?
While the story of McKenzie and Beasley both getting fined is a story of its own, It is unclear how the league knew that the pair were not wearing masks. Did someone walk through the facility and just happen to spot the players without masks?
One conspiracy theory that has been gaining some traction is that the NFL is spying on its players. While that may seem a little farfetched, the fact that the league knew exactly how many times McKenzie and Beasley attended sessions without a mask has people leaning on that side of the theory.
Another explanation could be that other players or coaches saw them without masks and quietly reported them to the NFL, kind of like the NBA hotline during the bubble in Florida the season before. If that's the case, many fans will be comparing the state of the NFL to the "McCarthyism" of the 1950s.
McCarthyism refers to a state of paranoia that gripped the United States during the Cold War in which trust was scarce at best.
In the same way one could not trust their neighbor back then, potential trust issues could creep into the NFL today. Big Brother-esque theories will no doubt keep cropping up as the days go by, but the NFL is clearly keeping a close eye on whether players are adhering to COVID protocols.
