NFL star McKenzie backs down and gets Covid vaccine just days after being hit with hefty fine

NFL star Isaiah McKenzie has received his first Covid-19 vaccination dose just two days after being fined by the league for violating protocols for unvaccinated players by not donning a mask inside his team's training facilities.

McKenzie, a wide receiver at the Buffalo Bills, posted a selfie to Instagram showing off his vaccination card yesterday, which indicated he has already received the first of two required jabs.

"For the greater good," he wrote as his caption.

On Thursday, McKenzie took to Twitter to write: "They got me! NFL you win!"

His post included a copy of a letter received from the league stating the 26-year-old violated Covid protocols.

In total, this was McKenzie's second violation after being issued a warning by the NFL a day before the New York state franchise opened their training camp for the upcoming season on July 27.

Administered a fine of $14,650, McKenzie allegedly failed to don a mask twice on Wednesday when walking into the fieldhouse to the trainer's room and in the weight room's meeting area.

Saying "damn" in relation to the cost of the fine when sharing the document once more on social media, McKenzie also posted "Sorry, world" alongside a tearful emoji.

As also reported this week by The Athletic, the league wants to see a vaccination mandate imposed on all its professionals, which has already received opposition from the Players' Association.

"We would love to see that mandate go into effect tomorrow," explained league chief Larry Ferezani, while adding that the union has championed daily Covid testing for all players at the same time the NFL proposed tests for vaccinated players just once a week.

At present, vaccinated players are only tested every two weeks, while unvaccinated players receive tests on a daily basis.