Green Bay Packers star quarterback Aaron Rodgers made his first comments Friday since testing positive for COVID-19. Rodgers addressed why he told media in August he was “immunized” and why he isn’t vaccinated in his usual appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
Rodgers will not play Sunday against Kansas City and isn’t allowed at team facilities for the next 10 days, according to league protocols.
Rodgers talked about the backlash he’s received since his positive test and referenced several debunked points from unvaccinated people.
“I am somebody who’s a critical thinker,” Rodgers said. “I believe strongly in bodily autonomy and the ability to make choices for your body.”
Rodgers stated that he is not against the vaccine.
“I am not a COVID-denier,” Rodgers said, adding: “I just wanted to make the best choice for my body.”
When talking about his current status of being unvaccinated, Rodgers spoke about “cancel culture.”
“I realize I’m in the crosshairs of the woke mob right now,” Rodgers said. “So before my final nail gets put in my cancel culture casket, I think I would like to set the record straight on so many of the blatant lies that are out there about myself.”
The reigning NFL MVP said in the interview that he did research on the vaccines but is allergic to something in both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. He said the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was the only option for him but cited clotting issues for why he hasn’t taken it. Rodgers said he then decided to seek an alternative treatment.
Rodgers continued by adding that he consulted his friend Joe Rogan and mentioned taking ivermectin, a medicine mainly used to treat threadworms, roundworms and other parasites. It is not approved to combat COVID-19 by the Food and Drug Administration.
Rodgers’ alternative treatment plan was rejected by the NFL. He said his teammates and the NFL knew of his unvaccinated status this year.
He later went on to quote Martin Luther King Jr., adding, “The great MLK said, ‘You have a moral obligation to object to unjust rules and rules that make no sense.’”
Jordan Love will make his first NFL start in Rodgers’ absence.
- Aron Yohannes
ayohannes@oregonian.com; @aronyohannes