Steelers Among NFL's Least Vaccinated, Players To Wear Bracelets During Practice

The Pittsburgh Steelers announced that they will monitor the team’s vaccination status using yellow bracelets to mark players who have yet to receive their COVID shot.

Players are instructed to wear the bracelets during training camps and for the foreseeable future. Head coach Mike Tomlin was asked about the team’s progress with vaccines and how Pittsburgh can benefit from the new bracelets.

"We really kind of moved on, to be honest with you," said Tomlin. "That's why we wanted to be so proactive about addressing it, so we're not spending a whole bunch of time thinking or talking about it. So, it's a non-issue for us, thankfully, due to the efforts and willingness of our guys. We're focused on football."

According to the AP, 85% of the Steelers roster has been vaccinated, with the new system in place to encourage the remaining players to get vaccinated.

The Steelers aren’t the only NFL team implementing the new ruling. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced that they will be using a similar system leading up to the start of the new season, marking unvaccinated players with red bracelets.

Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette jokingly admitted on Twitter that he remains hesitant about the mandatory vaccination ruling, but he then deleted the incriminating tweet.

Commissioner Roger Goodell and the league announced that unvaccinated players league-wide will be fined $14,650 for any COVID guideline infractions.