Aaron Rodgers was 100-percent wrong.
No, this isn’t about his personal and public health decision regarding a COVID vaccination. Take your Vax vs. Anti-vax debate elsewhere!
Nope, it’s about all the other maniacal missteps Rodgers made as a football player, teammate, supposed leader and public figure.
While the world of the NFL is much more difficult to navigate for players who are not vaccinated – something we dealt with locally this summer as the days wound down on Cam Newton’s career with the Patriots – Rodgers decisions and egregious errors in Green Bay run deeper than a Davante Adams go-route.
Rodgers, who tested positive for COVID this week and will therefore miss at least the 7-1 Packers Sunday night battle with the Chiefs, was asked about his vaccination status and feelings on the topic this summer. His answer was a play-action fake that few defenders on the planet would have diagnosed.
“Yeah, I’ve been immunized,” Rodgers said. “There’s a lot of conversation around it, around the league, and a lot of guys who have made statements and not made statements, owners who have made statements. 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."
It’s now clear that Rodgers was one of those guys he was referring to, even if he couldn’t muster up the words or the spine to say, “I’m not vaccinated.” That he reportedly sought out a homeopathic immunity boosting treatment and even filed for an exemption from NFL protocols for unvaccinated players because of it. That was denied.
But all that is a bit astray from the pertinent point.
Rodgers was not vaccinated. Yet at least partially led people to believe he was and may have even broken specific protocols such as masking rules for unvaccinated players.
In the world of sports, Rodgers didn’t do what was in the best interests of his football team, to steal a quote from another football GOAT, and now the entire Packers organization is paying the price. A Green Bay team that had, and obviously still may have, Super Bowl aspirations faces massive midseason challenge.
So why didn’t Rodgers feel comfortable or even compelled to get vaccinated, if not for the supposed good of his fellow man than at least for the good of the Packers? Is it some political issue? Moral? Religious?
What we do know is that Rodgers has played 17 seasons of NFL football. That’s 205 games with 198 starts. That he’s had injuries over the years. Some he played through. Some he did not.
It’s probably fair to assume that he’s done certain things to get on the field and stay on the field. Maybe put his personal health at risk. Even taken some treatment chances.
That’s the simple reality for most in the violent world of the NFL where you do what you need to do to get on the field and stay there.
For yourself. For the team. At least with injuries.
Now though, Rodgers wasn’t willing to do that.
Even worse, in some diabolical misdirection play that was likely not called by coach Matt LaFleur, he vaguely talked about his status and then spoke of unvaccinated teammates that he would not judge like he wasn’t one of them. That’s some devious almost borderline psychotic stuff right there.
Rodgers is one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play in the NFL. He’s one of the most truly gifted athletes to compete in any sport.
But when it comes to winning, and maybe a commitment to winning, Rodgers leaves something to be desired.
He put his team through the ringer this offseason in a dispute with the front office over his hurt feelings. Even tried his hand at hosting Jeopardy.
For more than a year Rodgers’ commitment to the Packers and his football career have rightfully been very much in questioned.
His decision not to get vaccinated, to at best mislead others regarding his vaccination status and actions around Green Bay as an unvaccinated player have put his priorities in question once again.
If you need a quarterback to make a crazy, off-balance throw on a dime or roll out for a Hail Mary, it’s hard to discount Rodgers as one of “those guys.”
But if you are looking for an unquestioned, dedicated leader of men focused on one common team goal? A guy who will always do and say the right thing?
It’s easier by the day to “judge” Rodgers as not being one of “those guys.”
It’s worthy criticism at this point and certainly not something he’s immunized against.
