National Football League

Minnesota Vikings dismiss assistant coach Rick Dennison over vaccine refusal

Published Jul. 23, 2021 6:37 p.m. ET

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The NFL’s new COVID-19 vaccine policy is already making some waves.

Rick Dennison is out as a Minnesota Vikings assistant coach after refusing to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, sources told ESPN on Friday.

Phil Rauscher has been promoted from assistant offensive line coach to replace Dennison, who served as the Vikings' offensive line coach and run game coordinator the past two seasons.

Per the NFL, the vaccine is required for all Tier 1 staff (coaches, front-office executives, equipment managers and scouts). In June, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported that assistant coaches from at least four teams had refused to take the vaccine and were set to lose their Tier 1 status, which would ban them from the field, meeting rooms and direct interaction with players.

Dennison is believed to be the league's first position coach to leave his team after choosing not to receive a vaccine. The NFL allows unvaccinated individuals to maintain Tier 1 status if they provide a valid medical or religious reason, but the Vikings noted that Dennison did not have an exemption. 

On Friday, Vikings running back Alexander Mattison took to social media to express his support for Dennison, saying that the decision to part ways with the 27-year NFL veteran coach made "no sense."

This news comes on the heels of a memo the NFL sent Thursday informing clubs that if a game cannot be rescheduled within the 18-week regular season due to a COVID-19 outbreak among unvaccinated players, the team with the outbreak will forfeit and be credited with a loss, which had Arizona Cardinals star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins contemplating his "future in the NFL". 

The memo also stated that players on both teams will not be paid for a lost contest, and the team responsible for the canceled game will need to cover financial losses and could be subject to discipline from the commissioner's office. 

Mattison and Hopkins are just two of an increasing number of NFL stars speaking out about the league’s vaccine policy. On Thursday, Los Angeles Rams cornerback and four-time Pro Bowler Jalen Ramsey took to social media to defend Hopkins.

"The NFL is pressuring/ ‘influencing’ guys to get the vaccine," Ramsey wrote. "They are saying if there is an outbreak, the team will be penalized heavily. My point is no teammate of mine will feel that pressure from me because whether you are vaccinated or not, there is still a chance of getting covid."

Meanwhile, Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette posted a since-deleted tweet that read: "vaccine … I can’t do it."

On Friday, Buffalo Bills receiver Cole Beasley — who has been vocal about his opinions on this issue — took to social media to partake in a little back-and-forth with his own teammate, Jerry Hughes.

It all started when Hughes responded to a tweet from former Indianapolis Colts safety Darius Butler that called the NFL "dead wrong" for its memo, citing a lack of "actual" research on the vaccine.

Beasley then responded directly to Hughes, questioning his logic about health conditions, to which Hughes replied: "I understand freedom of choice. But our job has put rules in place. Rules are rules."

Hughes kept things lighthearted, referring to his and Beasley's exchange as a "fun debate."

The 2021-22 NFL season is slated to begin Sept. 9.

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National Football League

Minnesota Vikings

Alexander Mattison

Leonard Fournette

DeAndre Hopkins

Cole Beasley

Jalen Ramsey

Jerry Hughes