Rodgers confirms he's unvaccinated, insists he 'didn't lie' about status
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers spoke on the "The Pat McAfee Show" Friday about the confusion regarding his vaccination status for the first time since testing positive for COVID-19, and he explained why he is not vaccinated.
"First of all, I didn't lie in the initial press conference," Rodgers said. "During that time, it was a very witch hunt that was going on across the league, where everybody in the media was so concerned about who was vaccinated, and who wasn't, and what that meant, and who was being selfish, and who would talk about it ... At the time, my plan was to say that I'd been immunized. It wasn't some sort of ruse or lie, it was the truth."
Rodgers said he was "immunized" when asked about his vaccination status in August. However, he tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday and will have to miss at least 10 days - a rule that only applies to unvaccinated players.
"Had there been a follow up to my statement that I've been immunized, I would've responded with this, I would have said, 'Look, I'm not some sort of anti-vax, flat-earther. I'm somebody who's a critical thinker,'" he added.
Rodgers pointed out he's allergic to an ingredient that's in mRNA vaccines, adding that Johnson & Johnson was the only vaccine available for him in April because of the allergy. However, Johnson & Johnson vaccines were paused in the U.S. in mid-April over blood clot concerns, which dissuaded Rodgers from getting it.
The signal-caller also noted his desire to be a father as another reason for deciding not to get vaccinated.
"The next great chapter in my life, I believe, is being a father, and it's something that I care about a lot," Rodgers said. "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."
That thought process led Rodgers to find a different "immunization protocol."
"I'm very proud of the research that went into that and the individuals that I met with, and we felt like it was what was best for me," he said. "It was not, again, something that the league didn't know about. The league was fully aware of it upon my return to the Packers."
The 37-year-old then petitioned the NFL to accept his immunization status under its vaccination protocol, but the league denied his claim.
Rodgers, who said he's been following all protocols for unvaccinated players, also criticized the NFL's COVID-19 guidelines.
"I respect both sides of that argument and understand both sides of that," Rodgers said. "I will say, when they sent in a stooge early in training camp to basically shame our team that we were 19th in the league in percentage of vaccinated people, I raised my hand and asked a few questions to challenge some of the things he was saying.
"The situation that I'm in should be a conversation, not a controversy."
Rodgers could return as early as Nov. 13, one day before Green Bay takes on the Seattle Seahawks in Week 10.
On Saturday, Prevea Health, a health care organization in Green Bay, announced its partnership with Rodgers had ended. Rodgers was a spokesperson since 2012.
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