Former NFL safety T.J. Ward went on a bizarre rant Tuesday, seemingly blaming Ron Rivera for getting skin cancer.
“Don’t blame the players for your life long health decisions,” Ward said in a since-deleted post on social media. “At some point you gotta pay for them vices. Cancer runs in my family like many American families. But also bad diets and cigarettes do as well. (Accept) responsibility. Don’t blame and be disappointed in your 23 year olds cus they have they own bodies and opinions about there health.”
Ward was responding to the Washington Football Team coach venting his frustrations over some of his players not being vaccinated against COVID-19.
The 34-year-old Ward opined that players on the Washington Football Team should not be forced to receive the COVID-19 vaccine due to Rivera’s cancer history.
“Just park the Riverboat. His health is beyond that of COVID. Maybe it’s time to let it go,” said Ward, who played in the NFL for eight seasons before retiring last year.
Ward later apologized to Rivera, writing: “I was not trying be insensitive to anyone effected [sic] by the cancer. I know you don’t chose to get cancer. And I tried to clear that up. If you know me and my career you know what my support is for cancer people dealing with it.”
On Tuesday, the 59-year-old Rivera said he was “beyond frustrated” that just a little over 50 percent of Washington’s players have been vaccinated — even after the NFL set out a mandate that a COVID-19 outbreak could lead to forfeits.
Rivera was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, a form of skin cancer, last August. He underwent chemotherapy and proton therapy treatments for seven weeks during the season before remission. But he is now immunodeficient, putting him at risk of getting sick from the virus.
Rivera has been walking around in a mask in the facilities to protect himself from players.
“Now, for whatever reason, we have some reluctance to do that, to get the vaccine,” Rivera said. “These young men have to make the decision for themselves. Hopefully they can understand how impactful not getting the vaccine is, and you’d like to believe with all the news that’s been out there in terms of the fact that people are being hospitalized, that are dying from COVID right now, are those that aren’t vaccinated.”
Ward played for the Browns, Broncos and Buccaneers, last appearing in a game in 2017.