For most of the 2021 season, Aaron Rodgers’ COVID19 vaccine status lingered as one of the most puzzling and controversial headlines in the sports world.
But as the Packers quarterback explained on “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast Saturday, his infamous “I’m immunized” comment was actually an intentional misdirection.
Rodgers reviewed the situation with Rogan and addressed his choice of words when he revealed his status to reporters last August. After sharing that his medical exemption had been denied by the NFL, he reiterated why he went through an “immunization process through a holistic doctor,” telling Rogan that he felt uncomfortable taking the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and that he was allergic to an ingredient used in Moderna. and Pfizer: glycol or PEG.
Rodgers, who missed Week 9 after testing positive for COVID19, revealed to Rogan his thought process at last summer’s press conference after learning the league had been asking “a bunch of other great quarterbacks” about their vaccine status.
“I had been prepared for this question all along and thought about how I wanted to answer it. And I had come to the conclusion that I’m going to say, ‘I’ve been vaccinated.’ And if there’s a followup, talk about my process.” , Rodgers said.
“But, (I) thought there was a chance he would say ‘I’m immunized,’ maybe they understand what that means, maybe they don’t. Maybe they follow through. They didn’t follow up. Then I go into the season (with) them thinking, some d “them, that he was vaccinated.”
Rodgers’ bout with the virus came in November 2021 after he apparently contracted COVID19 from a teammate who was fully vaccinated. He was later fined by the Packers that month for attending a Halloween party with 18 vaccinated teammates; Rodgers also drew criticism for holding inperson press conferences without a mask during training camp and during the regular season.
Rodgers told Rogan he expected to face even more criticism after reports emerged that he had contracted the virus.
“I knew at some point if I got COVID or word got out, because it’s the NFL and there are leaks all over the place, I might have to answer questions,” he told Rogan.
“And that’s when the storm came, because now I’m a liar, I’m endangering the community, my colleagues, all these people. And then, you know, he tried to take me down and, you know, my word and my integrity started.”
With the NFL now set to implement significant changes to its COVID protocol for the ’22 campaign, Rodgers will begin the year under a completely different microscope entering his 18th season with the Packers.
The 38yearold Rodgers, a fourtime NFL MVP, had 4,115 passing yards, 37 touchdowns and just four interceptions for the 13–4 Packers last season.
More NFL coverage:
Packer Central: Five positive performances from Packers loss to Chiefs
For more Green Bay Packers coverage, go to Packer Central.
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