Despite what he said about being ‘immunized’ after being asked if he had gotten his shots, Aaron Rodgers told Pat McAfee that he does not believe that he lied to the public.
“First of all, I didn’t lie in the initial press conference,” Rodgers said Friday. “During that time, it was a witch hunt that was going on across the league, where everybody in the media was so concerned about who was vaccinated and who wasn’t and what that meant and who was being selfish and who would talk about it, what it meant if they said it’s a personal decision and they shouldn’t have to disclose their own medical information.
“And at the time, my plan was to say that I have been immunized. It wasn’t some sort of ruse or lie. It was the truth, and I’ll get into the whole immunization in a second. But had there been a follow-up to my statement that I’ve been immunized, I would have responded with this: I would have said, ‘Look, I’m not some sort of anti-vax, flat-Earther. I am somebody who’s a critical thinker.’”
NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is not a fan of anything that Rodgers has said.
The former Los Angeles Lakers star wrote in his Substack that Rodgers “damaged professional sports” with his decision and comments.
“Instead of consulting immunologists, he consulted anti-vaxxer and podcast host Joe Rogan, who also contracted the virus. If he ever requires open-heart surgery, will he hand the scalpel to romance writers because they know about matters of the heart? While many who came into contact with him thought he was vaccinated, Rodgers had embarked on his own regimen to boost his ‘natural immunity.’ He failed, as any scientist could have told him – and as they have been publicly telling us for over a year,” he wrote.
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He wrote that Rodgers’ statements on “The Pat McAfee Show” are bringing “back to life the old stereotype of the big dumb jock.”
“Rodgers complained that the ‘cancel culture’ was coming for him, but his own words cancel him as a liar and a bad thinker. If he had a principled objection to the vaccine, he could have chosen not to play, like Kyrie Irving, who at least is honest. What really sacked his whining stance was his refusal to wear a mask during interviews to protect others from sickness and death.”
“That was merely his hubris and arrogance against what he called the ‘woke mob.’ In this case, woke means compassion and responsibility toward others. He might also remember that the only reason he is able to play in front of crowds again is because all those suckers got vaccinated.”
Towards the end of his comments, Kareem spoke on Colin Kaepernick.
“I can’t help but think of Colin Kaepernick, who was blacklisted by the NFL for passively expressing his frustration with systemic racism – a brave act meant to help his community and save lives – while multi-millionaire Rodgers will continue to play, despite lying to the fans and his teammates and putting innocent lives in danger,” he wrote. “Time will tell whether Rodgers will be judged by the content of his character or the strength of his throwing arm.”
Rodgers missed Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs because a positive test meant the unvaccinated quarterback was forced to miss 10 days.
