'T. J. Ward is an idiot': NFL community slams former DB for mocking Ron Rivera over COVID-19 protocol

T. J. Ward may be retired now, but he was back in the news Tuesday night after an insensitive series of tweets regarding Ron Rivera's statement about the unvaccinated Washington Football Team players.

However, the NFL community was quick to label him an 'idiot'. Ward's tweets made it feel like Rivera chose to have cancer, which obviously couldn't be further from the truth.

So, TJ Ward is an idiot. pic.twitter.com/BQjrkyBlW0

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) July 28, 2021

After the initial backlash, Ward tried to explain himself by talking about how bad diets and cigarettes contributed to having cancer, but it was clear that the damage was done. He went as far as saying "don't blame and be disappointed in your 23- year-old because they have their own bodies and opinions about their health" before deleting the tweet.

TJ Ward thought Ron Rivera was like this somewhere down the road pic.twitter.com/XtTn8AKn6o

— Aaron (@Aaroncabrera_) July 28, 2021

Ron Rivera's statement about vaccines

Rivera gave a deeply personal statement on Tuesday about how disappointed he was with his players regarding the vaccination rates on the roster. Washington is near the bottom of the league with around 60% of its players vaccinated.

I'm truly frustrated, I'm beyond frustrated. I'm immune deficient, and with this new variant, who knows.

Washington's head coach is immune deficient following his battle with cancer last year. Because of that, he always wears a mask during his meetings with his players and his health is a cause for concern.

Dallas Cowboys v Washington Football Team

Last year, Rivera cut Dwayne Haskins following violations of the COVID-19 protocol. He also lost his older brother, Mickey, to cancer in 2015. It's no surprise he's concerned with vaccination, just as everybody should be.

TJ Ward's NFL career

The recently-retired safety made the most of his career during the first half of the last decade as a player for the Cleveland Browns and the Denver Broncos. He was drafted in 2010 and had his best year as a pro in 2013, where he received All-Pro honors and also was selected to the Pro Bowl in his last year in Cleveland.

He hit the market in 2014 and signed with Denver, again making the Pro Bowl in his first year with the Broncos. He was part of the No Fly Zone, the pass defense known for shutting down its opponents during the Broncos' championship run in 2015.

After a surprise cut in Denver during the final roster cutdown in 2017, Ward signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he played in 12 games. He made an last appearance in the NFL in 2020 during a short practice squad stint with the Arizona Cardinals, where he didn't last a month.

Ward announced his retirement three months ago.