Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has apparently had enough of the jokes. He has not only spoken out about being ruled out for this week's game after testing positive for COVID; he's also addressed being shamed for not being vaccinated.
As a refresher, back in August, when Rodgers was asked by a reporter whether or not he was vaccinated, his answer was the following:
"Yeah, I've been immunized."
He then proceeded to say,
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"There's guys on the team that haven't been vaccinated. I think it's a personal decision. I'm not going to judge those guys."
Many feel that, since Rodgers answered the initial question with the word "yeah" and spoke about others on the team that have not been vaccinated, he was using words that were misleading.
After a few days of backlash from media pundits, reporters, and fans alike, Rodgers has finally begun to defend himself.
Rodgers speaks on those critical of his vaccination status
On Friday, Rodgers made his weekly appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, and he didn't hold back on those that he felt were attempting to sully his good name due to the events of this week.
Here is some of what Rodgers had to say:
"I realize I'm in the crosshairs of the woke mob right now. 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."
Rodgers went on to explain that had he been asked a follow-up question over the summer after stating that he was immunized, he would have expounded on the fact that he is not an "anti-vax flat-earther," but he is indeed a "critical thinker."
He explained to Pat McAfee that he feels those that are unvaccinated are being sought out as some form of a "witch hunt" by the media.
"That's what the media's trying to do. They're trying to shame and out and cancel us non-vaccinated people."
Rodgers also explained that he was allergic to something in the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines and that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine had side effects that scared him away from it.
And while Rodgers did not delve into specific details, he stated in the interview that he did undergo extensive treatment after speaking with medical professionals (not sure if he was referring to the reported homeopathic remedies or not) and asked the Packers to "accept my immunization status as under their vaccination protocol."
He believes the NFL's findings on the vaccine were not rooted in science but designed to shame players into becoming vaccinated.
Rodgers used a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King to summarize some of his feelings on the matter by saying, "You have a moral obligation to object to unjust rules and rules that make no sense."
It appears that this may be just the tip of the iceberg for Rodgers, the Packers, and the NFL on this matter.
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