Everything We Know About Aaron Rodgers Being Unvaccinated And Fighting COVID-19
As of November 3, the Green Bay Packers are riding a seven-game winning streak that's put quarterback Aaron Rodgers in a good mood, especially for someone who was considering leaving the franchise ahead of the 2021-22 season. "Obviously winning cures a lot of that," Rodgers told USA Today in response to rumors that he was "disgruntled" going into the season. "I'm still in Green Bay and having the time of my life," he added. It's possible that Rodgers' earlier annoyance may have been compounded by the NFL's approach to limiting the spread of COVID-19. In November 2020, the three-time MVP called out the league's "double standards" in an interview with former Indianapolis Colts punter, Pat McAfee (via CBS Sports).
"You can go down to practice and hit each other and be in close contact, but you have to have plexiglass in between you and the guy next to you in the locker room," Rodgers questioned. "You can dap up a guy after the game, but you can't eat at the same lunch table as a teammate?"
The Super Bowl winner has also stated publicly that he would not judge anyone on the team who was not vaccinated, per ESPN. "I think it's a personal decision," he shared. However, because Rodgers chose an alternate treatment to the vaccine, the NFL ultimately ruled that he would be considered an unvaccinated person, despite his petition otherwise. It's therefore unsurprising that Rodgers has since contracted the coronavirus, as CNN reported. Here's everything we know so far.
Did Aaron Rodgers mislead fans about his vaccination status?
After testing positive for COVID-19 on November 3, the Green Bay Packers confirmed that Aaron Rodgers will not play in Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Furthermore, because the quarterback chose to be "immunized" in lieu of being vaccinated, he will miss an additional 10 days in keeping with NFL protocol. When head coach Matt LaFleur was asked whether Rodgers' use of the word "immunized" might have led fans to assume he was vaccinated, he declined to comment.
"That's a great question for Aaron," LaFleur said, per the New York Post. Backup QB Jordan Love is set to take the field in Rodgers' absence, which comes as a disappointment to the opposing team, ESPN reported. "You always want to compete against the best," Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes told the outlet. "Hopefully he's healthy and it's not too bad." As of this writing, Rodgers' COVID-19 symptoms are unclear, as LaFleur told ESPN that he had spoken with his star quarterback "only briefly" earlier in the day.
Prior to his COVID-19 diagnosis, Rodgers attended a Halloween party alongside his Packers teammates, where he unknowingly exposed others to the virus. According to USA Today, his decision to go maskless constitutes a violation of NFL protocol. In the meantime, the NFL has issued a statement saying they are "aware of the current situation in Green Bay" and are working with the Packers to determine next steps.