CFL brings in new COVID-19 protocols for cancelled games

The CFL is cracking down when it comes to low vaccination rates in the league.

In a release on Tuesday, the league announced that if a COVID-19 outbreak lead to a cancelled game, the team that had the outbreak would forfeit it. If both teams were dealing with an outbreak, both teams would get losses on their records.

The CFL also said that if a team cannot prove that 85 per cent of its team is vaccinated – single-dosed or fully – the entire team will not be paid for the game that was cancelled.

“(The CFL) is not messing around, they want to see 85 per cent of a team vaccinated and this is going to be a way, I think, you’ll see the teams that maybe aren’t there, will get there relatively fast when players start to see that financially they can take a pretty big hit if we’re not at 85 (per cent), I think you’ll see a lot of guys who get the shot,” said Saskatchewan Roughriders head coach Craig Dickenson.

The CFL indicated that three teams have already reached that threshold but didn’t say which ones. Dickenson said the Roughriders have not reached it yet but the team is close.

In terms of the league tying payment to vaccination rates, Dickenson said all the players and coaches are ultimately employees of the CFL.

“Whenever you work for someone, you have to follow the rules and the guidelines they give you. Just like when you’re teaching school, you can’t roll in with a pair of shorts, you have to wear a professional outfit,” Dickenson said. “When (the league) decides the rules, it’s up to us if we want to follow them and if we don’t, we don’t have to necessarily have that job.”

Dickenson said that since the players arrived, the team has been trying to encourage players to get vaccinated but it’s a thin line to walk.

“Any time you have the haves and the have-nots – whether it be money, vaccination or whatever – you risk dividing the room so we’ve tried to be very open-minded and understanding of those that, maybe, for some reason or another don’t want to get vaccinated but we are encouraging them,” Dickenson said. “The main reason is we want them to all be healthy and safe. The vaccination is proven that it helps people avoid going to the hospital because of COVID-19. We have the best interest of our players in mind when we encourage them to get vaccinated and I think they know that.”

Staying healthy and not missing games was one of the main reasons quarterback Cody Fajardo got both of his doses.

Along with some advice from his wife.

“My wife is also a doctor so it also helps when you have a doctor in the family telling you you should get the vaccine,” Fajardo said. “It was a no-brainer for me.”

Fajardo said it’s a different world out there now than it was pre-pandemic.

“For me, I just did my part and hopefully I don’t miss a game check because getting vaccinated was part of my decision to be able to play and make an earning for my family,” Fajardo said. “I’m just excited about the opportunity to play some football and knowing that we’re a couple days away from a sold-out stadium and playing CFL football again has got me pretty juiced.”

Isaac Harker to be Fajardo’s backup

Isaac Harker is going to be the second quarterback on the Riders game day roster.

Head coach Craig Dickenson confirmed Tuesday that the second-season CFLer would get the spot instead of Paxton Lynch, who was also on the main roster.

“(Harker’s) outplayed him. He’s more ready right now and the offensive staff feels good about him and I do as well. He’s a guy who has won games for us in the league before,” Dickenson said. “We think Lynch is going to be a heck of a quarterback and we feel good about (practice roster quarterback) Mason Fine. The reality is Harker is our best option to win games right now so he’s the number two and it will stay that way until proven otherwise.”

This year, CFL teams are only allowed to carry two quarterbacks on their roster. Defensive back Nick Marshall, who was a quarterback at Auburn, is the team’s emergency backup quarterback.

Notes: Slotback Jordan Williams-Lambert (knee) was a full participant in practice … Wide receiver Justin McInnis (hamstring) was limited on Tuesday … Offensive lineman Mattland Riley (illness) and defensive end Jordan Reaves (Achilles tightness) did not participate.