President Joe Biden called on Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to get vaccinated on Wednesday.
Biden's remark came during a visit to Kentucky to survey the damage from recent tornadoes and meet with victims. At one point, he was seen in a brief light-hearted exchange with a woman wearing a Packers winter cap and Packers sweatshirt.
"Tell that quarterback he's got to get the vaccine," Biden joked.
Rodgers came under criticism last month, after it was revealed that he had misled reporters about his vaccination status when he claimed during training camp that he was "immunized."
The reigning MVP and surefire future Hall of Famer was initially defiant about seemingly having been caught lying, claiming to be "allergic" to unspecified ingredients in mRNA vaccines. He later apologized for "misleading" the public about his vaccine status.
Rodgers returned to the field after missing one game while in league virus protocols. While he hasn't reported any lingering issues from the virus, he has been hobbled by a nagging foot injury.
Meanwhile the NFL has seen a surge in cases in recent days, with one report indicating as many as 94 players tested positive in the three-day span from Monday through Wednesday.
The pandemic, now approaching two years since it prompted the suspension of the NBA season in early March 2020, has continued to exact a heavy toll on the US, with the official fatality count surpassing the grim milestone of 800,000 this week.
The devastating tornadoes that tore through several midwest states last week killed at least 90 people, the New York Times reported, most of them in Kentucky.
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