Week 11 NFL Moneyline Underdogs
Mike Randle
The 2021 NFL season may almost be here, and more information keeps pouring out of training camp on position battles and who will make each team’s 54-man roster. One key piece of info that may be a bit guarded by players and franchises is how many of them have been vaccinated.
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In a COVID-19 world, and with the NFL announcing it has no intention of canceling games, teams with a higher vaccination rate could see a competitive advantage over teams with a lesser percentage. According to the Associated Press, teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers, Miami Dolphins, Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos were among the 10 teams that have reached the 85% vaccination threshold mandated by the NFL entering training camp. The only team with a reported 100% Covid-19 vaccination rate is the Atlanta Falcons.
Here’s more from the AP report and why it could significantly impact the 2021 NFL season:
“Unvaccinated players must continue to get daily testing, wear masks and practice physical distancing. They won’t be allowed to eat meals with teammates, can’t participate in media or marketing activities while traveling, aren’t permitted to use the sauna or steam room, and may not leave the team hotel or interact with people outside the team while traveling. Vaccinated players will not have any of those restrictions.”
The two teams identified with the worst vaccination percentage as of July 16 were the Washington Football Team and Indianapolis Colts. There two squads were reportedly under the 50% vaccination threshold. As of Aug. 20 with latest vaccination rate reports, Washington has climbed to 84% while the Colts are at 75%. The Vikings are reportedly at the bottom of the latest list at 64.5%, but according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, all NFL teams had reached the 75% vaccination rate as of Aug. 14:
After the debacle of Saints-Broncos in the 2020 season that saw Denver use a practice-squad position player as quarterback, bettors could use these vaccination percentages to factor in potential outcomes and whether certain teams could be more at risk of losing starters to COVID-19 protocols.
How many NFL teams are vaccinated?
Here are the latest reports for vaccination percentages by all 32 teams where players have received at least the first of two doses. The percentage is linked to the reports from various teams or beat writers as sources.
| Team | Vaccination % |
| Arizona Cardinals | 90% |
| Atlanta Falcons | 100% |
| Baltimore Ravens | 90% |
| Buffalo Bills | 80% |
| Carolina Panthers | 92% |
| Chicago Bears | 85% |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 90% |
| Cleveland Browns | 90% |
| Dallas Cowboys | 85% |
| Denver Broncos | 95% |
| Detroit Lions | 80% |
| Green Bay Packers | 87% |
| Houston Texans | Not reported |
| Indianapolis Colts | 75% |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 80% |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 95% |
| Las Vegas Raiders | 90% |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 90% |
| Los Angeles Rams | 95% |
| Miami Dolphins | 85% |
| Minnesota Vikings | 70% |
| New England Patriots | Not reported |
| New Orleans Saints | 90% |
| New York Giants | 90% |
| New York Jets | 90% |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 90% |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 90% |
| San Francisco 49ers | 95% |
| Seattle Seahawks | 99% |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 95% |
| Tennessee Titans | 90% |
| Washington Football Team | 84% |
