FRISCO, Texas — Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones emphasized his pro-vaccine stance on Tuesday, telling listeners on his weekly radio show that the COVID-19 shot was part of “the common good.”
“Everyone has a right to make their own decisions regarding their health and their body,” Jones said on his show, which is broadcast on KRLD-FM. “I believe in that completely -- until your decision as to yourself impacts negatively many others. Then the common good takes over.”
The Cowboys currently have five people in COVID-19 protocols, KFDW reported. That includes defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and defensive tackle Carlos Watkins, who were sent home before Dallas’ preseason game at AT&T Stadium against the Houston Texans, the television station reported.
Jerry Jones on why he's so adamant about COVID-19 vaccine: "Everyone has a right to make their own decisions regarding their health & their body...until your decision as to yourself impacts negatively many others.
— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) August 24, 2021
"We have got to check ‘I’ at the door & go forward with ‘we’." pic.twitter.com/82CHEwxbDd
Over the next few days, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, safeties Israel Mukuamu and Malik Hooker were also placed into protocols, the television station reported.
It is unclear which of the five people tested positive for COVID-19.
The Cowboys told reporters that 93% of its players -- and all coaches -- were vaccinated as of Saturday, KFDW reported.
“I’m arm-waving here, but that has everything to do with the way I look at our team, the Cowboys, or the way I look at our society,” Jones said on his radio program. “We have got to check ‘I’ at the door and go forward with ‘We’. Your Dallas Cowboys are doing that.
Some players, like Cole Beasley, have said the NFL is forcing the vaccine on players. Jones told The Dallas Morning News that football was a team game.
“We rely on each other to play. We rely on each other to win. We have to have each other,” Jones told the newspaper. “There’s 11 guys out there at any one time, to be trite about it. And you have to count on the other guy being available. And you certainly don’t want to be doing anything that causes your teammates to not be available.
“All of that comes to the same conclusion as far as what you agreed to be as far as a player, be a part of a team.”
More coronavirus pandemic coverage:
>> Coronavirus: How long between exposure to the virus and the start of symptoms?
>> How to not let coronavirus pandemic fatigue set in, battle back if it does
©2021 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/SE4BVVAVVNFF5CORZCCU3SWI5M.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/22BMTROT4FAZXC7X2BOOIWTVE4.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/MZ3XSPKMIZH7VNN44VJ2P3YJZQ.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/PKLHYIKJTZBVDHNSOF2J6MRJXM.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/SCZF257AZRAIJKCKOZEW3AK3ZU.jpeg)