Aaron Rodgers is hoping to scramble away from his vaccine controversy.
On Tuesday, the Green Bay Packers star quarterback appeared during his usual time slot on “The Pat McAfee Show,” offering a partial mea culpa and expressing his desire to get back to football.
“I’m an athlete, not an activist,” Rodgers said. “I’m going to go back to doing what I do best, which is playing ball. I shared my opinion. It wasn’t one that was come to frivolously. It involved a lot of study and what I felt like was in my best interest for my body. But further comments I’m going to keep between myself and my doctors.”
The saga began last week when the 37-year-old signal caller tested positive for COVID-19. He was immediately ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Chiefs as an unvaccinated player.
That status then led to confusion online, because Rodgers had told reporters during a press conference on Aug. 26 that he was “immunized” when asked if he had been vaccinated. He then went on to say that he wasn’t going to “judge” his teammates who decided not to get vaccinated. Rodgers didn’t appear on the sidelines or during press conferences with a mask on, potentially breaking the NFL’s policy for unvaccinated players.
Later Tuesday, the NFL fined the Packers $300,000 and issued $14,650 fines to Rodgers and wide receiver Allen Lazard for violations of league and players’ union protocols. ESPN first reported the fines.
Last Friday on McAfee’s YouTube show, Rodgers defended his decision to not get the vaccine, adding he now feared that the “woke mob” was going to “cancel” him. He also said the media was engaging in a “witch hunt” over players’ vaccination statuses.
“I believe strongly in bodily autonomy and the ability to make choices for your body, not to have to acquiesce to some woke culture or crazed group of individuals who say you have to do something,” Rodgers said.
Rodgers was criticized by many following the 45-minute interview last week, from the sports commentators on ESPN and Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw to NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
While some criticized him for misinformation — such as the vaccine causing infertility — and others chided him for consulting with podcaster Joe Rogan, who also recently contracted COVID, Rodgers was most heavily criticized for failing to admit in August that he wasn’t vaccinated. He drew comparisons to fellow NFL quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Carson Wentz as well as NBA star Kyrie Irving, all of whom admitted to not wanting to get the vaccine.
“I do realize I am a role model to a lot of people. So I just want to start off this show by acknowledging that I made some comments that people may have felt were misleading,” Rodgers said Tuesday. “To anybody who felt misled by those comments, I take full responsibility for those comments.”
On Monday, State Farm — the insurance giant that is Rodgers’ top sponsor — backed the quarterback and said it respects his “personal point of view,” even though the company doesn’t “support” his statements.
Without Rodgers Sunday, the Packers lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 13-7. Backup Jordan Love, who was drafted in the first round of the 2020 draft much to Rodgers’ chagrin, was underwhelming in his first NFL start. He completed 19 of 34 passes for 190 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
The Packers host the Seattle Seahawks this Sunday. Rodgers is eligible to return to the team on Saturday, and he said it’s likely he will play this weekend.
“It’s hard to be away from the team,” Rodgers said. “I’m proud of my guys and the way they battled. … I don’t want to miss any more games. It’s hard to watch.”
This article is based in part on wire service reports.
• Jacob Calvin Meyer can be reached at jmeyer@washingtontimes.com.
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