This summer, @ByRyanWood asked #Packers QB Aaron Rodgers if he was vaccinated and his stance on it.
Rodgers: “Yeah, I’ve been immunized”
Here’s #12’s full response: pic.twitter.com/kKmXoZC8ca
— Kyle Malzhan (@KyleMalzhan) November 3, 2021
When asked directly by reporters if he was vaccinated during training camp, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers answered affirmatively and claimed he was “immunized.”
“Yeah, I’ve been immunized,” Rodgers said when asked by Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press Gazette if he was vaccinated on Aug. 26.
Rodgers tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday and is out Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs. Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported Rodgers is not vaccinated, helping explain why Rodgers must miss 10 days before he can return to the team.
A vaccinated player who tests positive needs to be asymptomatic and have two negative tests spaced 24 hours apart to return. Rodgers, an unvaccinated player, is required to miss 10 days and still test negative. He is eligible to return to the team no sooner than Saturday, Nov. 13.
In August, Rodgers said vaccination for COVID-19 was a “personal decision” and called it an “interesting issue.”
His use of the word “immunized” was at best misleading. It’s possible Rodgers had COVID-19 previously and was using this information to work around the question, leading media in the building to believe he was actually vaccinated. It’s also possible Rodgers believes the two are synonymous.
Per Rapoport, Rodgers has been following protocols for unvaccinated players inside the team’s facility.
Rodgers, who typically speaks with local reporters on Wednesday, had his availability cancelled by the team.
Practice squad quarterback Kurt Benkert also tested positive for COVID-19 and is on the league’s reserve list. Jordan Love, who is expected to start on Sunday against the Chiefs, is currently the only available quarterback on the team’s roster.
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