In an upcoming unauthorized biography, four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers reflects on his controversial statements about his COVID-19 vaccination status during the 2021 season, admitting that he should have been more forthcoming.
The details, revealed by ESPN, shed new light on Rodgers’ mindset during a tumultuous period in his career.
Back in November 2021, Rodgers tested positive for COVID-19, which led to his mandatory sidelining for at least 10 days, the protocol in place for unvaccinated players at the time. This incident forced him to miss the Green Bay Packers’ highly anticipated game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Just three months prior, Rodgers had implied he was vaccinated by stating he was “immunized,” a comment that sparked widespread criticism when his true vaccination status came to light.
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In the biography titled Out of the Darkness: The Mystery of Aaron Rodgers by author Ian O’Connor, Rodgers expresses regret over how he handled the situation. “If there’s one thing I wish could have gone differently, it’s that,” Rodgers admits, acknowledging that his choice of words gave critics something to attack.
The book also reveals that before the Packers’ training camp in July 2021, Rodgers sought to have an alternate treatment recognized by the NFL as equivalent to vaccination.
His personal doctor had provided him with a homeopathic treatment intended to boost his antibody levels, and Rodgers requested that the league consider this as meeting the vaccination requirement. However, the NFL denied his request.
Reflecting on the situation, Rodgers admits that he should have approached it differently. “If I could do it again, I would have said back in August, ‘Forget the appeal. I’ll just tell them I’m allergic to PEG, I’m not getting Johnson & Johnson, and I’m not getting vaccinated,'” Rodgers shares in the book. He further explains that he had an immunization card from his holistic doctor, which resembled a vaccine card but was not intended to be passed off as one. “I wasn’t trying to deceive anyone, but if I had been upfront about being unvaccinated, the whole appeal process would have played out differently.”
Rodgers went on to win the MVP award for a second consecutive season in 2021, marking his final Pro Bowl campaign with the Packers. His tenure with Green Bay came to an end in the 2023 offseason when he was traded to the New York Jets.
This candid reflection on his handling of the COVID-19 situation adds a new dimension to Rodgers’ complex legacy, offering insight into the challenges he faced both on and off the field during that controversial period.
