Falcons Fire Scout for Refusing COVID Vaccine
The Atlanta Falcons were the first team in the NFL to tout a 100-percent vaccination rate among its in-house players and staff, but they have reportedly let go of one of their road scouts for refusing to comply.
Jordan Schultz was the first to report the news on Twitter that Midwest scout Rodrik David was terminated by the Falcons.
"In August, 2021," reads the statement from the Falcons, "the Blank Family of Businesses implemented a new policy mandating that all regular full and part time associates for the Blank Family of Businesses must be vaccinated in order to maintain a safe working environment for all associates."
"Through the months of August and September, the company worked through the process with associates. The vaccination policy will be put in effect during the month of October."
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David had been with the Falcons organization for four years. He had joined the club as an intern in 2015 and was hired as a scouting assistant in 2017. He was promoted to pro Scout in 2017.
Falcons owner Arthur Blank has made his vast resources available to be at the forefront of the vaccination push.
Blank worked with Georgia Governor Brian Kemp to make Mercedes-Benz Stadium the largest mass vaccination center in the south in March of this year.
The Falcons haven't lost a player to NFL COVID protocols during the regular season this year and enter the game against the Washington Football Team as healthy as they've been since the start of training camp.