GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – Packers QB Aaron Rodgers spoke for the first time this afternoon since testing positive for COVID-19.
Back in late August when Rodgers was asked about his vaccination status, he said: “yeah, I’ve been immunized.” Since the reports spewed of Rodgers testing positive for COVID-19 and being unvaccinated, there was a lot of controversy surrounding his word choice of “immunized.”
Rodgers appeared on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ Friday afternoon to explain his vaccination status and what the last few days were like for him after testing positive for COVID-19.
Rodgers started the interview by saying, “I realize I’m in the cross-hairs of the woke mob right now, so before my final nail gets put in my cancel culture casket, I think I’d like to set the record straight on so many of the blatant lies that are out there about myself right now.”
Rodgers mentioned the amount of research he did this past offseason, worth 500 pages, about vaccines which included meetings with individuals in the medical field.
“It was pretty easy in the beginning to eliminate two of them”, Rodgers said. “I have an allergy to an ingredient that’s in the mRNA vaccines.”
Rodgers mentioned the Johnson & Johnson vaccine that was “pulled in mid-April for clotting issues”, then considered it not even an option. He went on to talk to medical professionals as he looked into other alternatives that could protect him and his teammates from the virus.
“I found that there was an immunization protocol that I could go to to best protect myself and my teammates and it was a long term protocol that involved multiple months”, Rodgers explained. “I’m very proud of the research that went into that. The individual that I met with and we thought that it was what’s best for me.”
Rodgers explained that the NFL was “fully-aware” of the situation when he returned to the Packers this summer. He then petitioned to the NFL for them to accept his immunization status.
When talking about the protocols placed by the league for unvaccinated and vaccinated players, Rodgers said: “In my opinion, they weren’t based on science. They were more based in a shame-based environment to try and get as many guys vaccinated as possible so the league looks better to the rest of the world.”
When the NFL responded to Aaron Rodgers’ petition, they told Rodgers’ he would be considered an unvaccinated player.
Rodgers then went onto appeal it and it was a multi-week process. He asked for time to gather information, which he did – 500 pages of research. There were many conversations with the NFL and Aaron Rodgers about his appeal that he characterized as “good sharing.” But, there was a conversation with one of the main doctors that stuck out to Rodgers.
“One of the main docs said, ‘It’s impossible for a vaccinated person to get COVID or spread COVID’. At that point, I knew I was definitely not going to win an appeal. It was very shortly after that denied,” Rodgers shared on The Pat McAfee Show about his conversation with a doctor.
Rodgers then went onto explain the decision of not getting vaccinated.
“That’s what I did. I made the decision that was in my best interest.”
Rodgers said being a father figure is important to him.
“To my knowledge, there’s been zero long-term studies around sterility or fertility issues around the vaccines. So that was definitely something that I was worried about,” said Rodgers.
There was a lot of controversy surrounding Rodgers not wearing a mask during his in-person pressers at the podiums with the media. Rodgers went onto explain his thoughts on the NFL rules and protocols for unvaccinated players.
“Some of the rules to me are not based in science at all and purely to ought and shame people. Like needing to wear a mask at a podium when every person in the room is vaccinated and wearing a mask. It makes no sense to me. If you got vaccinated to protect yourself from a virus that I don’t have as an unvaccinated individual – then why are you worried about anything that I can give you?” said Rodgers. “I have followed every single protocol to a tee. Minus that one that I just mentioned that makes no sense to me.”
Rodgers explained his daily routine as an unvaccinated individual that includes COVID-19 testing as early as 5:00 a.m. during noon games at home, testing in the morning every day and waiting in the car for 30-40 minutes to receive results, wearing a mask every day in the facility, physically distance from everybody else, not leaving the hotel during road games, can’t have dinner with teammates, working out off to the side in the weight room while wearing a mask, can’t use the sauna and steam room, and wearing a yellow wrist band at all times to announce that he’s unvaccinated.
Rodgers discussed his problems with COVID-19 and vaccination status.
“The problem with this is that it is so political and health should not be political. It shouldn’t be ‘Oh, Trump endorsed Ivermectin and HCQ and so, take that (explicative) off – that doesn’t work’. In general, we all should’ve been a little hesitant when Trump, in 2020, was championing these vaccines that were coming so quick – what did the left say? I’m talking every member of the left. ‘Don’t trust the vaccine. Don’t get the vaccine. You’re going to die from the vaccine’. Then what happened? Biden wins and everything flips,” Rodgers explained.
With Aaron Rodgers testing positive for COVID-19, he doesn’t have to test again for the next 90 days.
When Rodgers was wrapping up his 46 minute interview, Rodgers said, “The situation that I’m in should be a conversation, not a controversy.” He added: “If this was the flu, I’d be playing Sunday.”
