Report: NFL execs upset with Packers' handling of COVID-19 protocols

Multiple executives from various NFL clubs believe their teams have been held to higher standards than the Green Bay Packers with regard to COVID-19 protocols, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.

One apparent gripe concerns mask-wearing on the sideline for unvaccinated players. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who is unvaccinated, didn't wear a mask on the sidelines while inactive during the preseason.

"That's B.S. ... What's going on in Green Bay, that's not what teams were told by the NFL," one executive told Schefter. "Our players wore masks all the time. We made our guys that weren't playing wear masks."

The reported complaints are the latest fallout from Rodgers testing positive for COVID-19, which has prompted an NFL investigation into Green Bay's handling of protocols.

Rodgers and the Packers are not expected to face suspensions but could be fined for possible violations, Schefter adds.

One reported focus for the NFL is a Halloween party that multiple Green Bay players were seen attending without masks. The league believes a violation may have occurred since protocols only allow a limited number of players to gather together outside team facilities, Schefter adds.

Another potential violation relates to Rodgers' press conferences. The NFL requires unvaccinated players to wear masks while speaking to the media, a stipulation the veteran hasn't followed.

Rodgers said earlier this week he did not receive a COVID-19 vaccine due to an allergy to an ingredient in mRNA vaccines and concerns with the Johnson & Johnson shot. The 37-year-old received an alternative treatment and petitioned the league to consider him vaccinated. That petition was denied.

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