Aaron Rodgers says he takes ‘full responsibility’ if people felt misled by vaccine comments
Star Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers on Tuesday said he understands some people may have felt misled people about his COVID-19 vaccination status after he tested positive for the virus last week and it was revealed that he has not received the vaccine.
During a regularly scheduled appearance on the “Pat McAfee Show,” Rodgers told hosts Pat McAfee and A.J. Hawk that he takes full responsibility for misleading reporters about his vaccination status.
Rodgers was asked by a reporter during his team’s training camp session in August if he was vaccinated. Rodgers replied, “Yeah, I’ve been immunized.”
On Tuesday, the three-time NFL MVP said he realized some may have felt that was “misleading.”
“I realize that I am a role model to a lot of people, and I just want to start off by acknowledging that. I made some comments that people might have felt were misleading,” Rodgers told the hosts. “To anybody who felt misled by those comments, I take full responsibility for those comments.”
Rodgers also said he understands his anti-vaccine comments gained national media attention, reiterating that he’s an “athlete and not an activist.”
“I have no judgment. Hate is not going to bring us out of this pandemic. It’s going to be connecting and love. I’m not going to hate on anybody who’s said things about me,” Rodgers said.
Rodgers made headlines on Friday following his diagnosis when he defended his decision to not get vaccinated, saying he was allergic to ingredients in the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines and was worried about side effects from the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Rodgers also claimed he was a victim of the “woke mob” and “cancel culture” and criticized the NFL and its policies implemented to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The NFL and NFL Players Association are reviewing whether Rodgers and the Packers violated any aspects of the league’s COVID-19 protocol, which is stricter for unvaccinated players than for those who are vaccinated.
The quarterback faced intense criticism from a number of former NFL players and pundits, including Hall of Fame Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw, who said Rodgers “lied to everyone.”
A Wisconsin-based health care company, Prevea Health, cut ties with Rodgers after the controversy, but his endorsement deal with State Farm Insurance will continue.
State Farm said in a statement to The Wall Street Journal on Monday that it won’t sever ties with the quarterback, calling him a “great ambassador” and saying it respects “his right to have his own personal point of view.”
Updated at 5:30 p.m. to clarify Rodgers’s comments.