Aaron Rodgers has gone to one of the most talked about positive stories of the 2021 NFL season to testing positive positive for COVID-19 and being talked about in a negative light.
He’s being talked about negatively after he claimed back in August that he had gotten the vaccine. Rodgers previously said he “was immunized” against the virus.
NFL Network report Ian Rapoport reported Rodgers was not vaccinated.
“#Packers QB Aaron Rodgers was quoted as saying he’s been ‘immunized.’ By the letter of the law in the NFL, that does not equal vaccinated,” Rapoport tweeted. “#Packers QB Aaron Rodgers is unvaccinated, per me and @MikeGarafolo. That’s why he’s out for Sunday vs. the #Chiefs.”
He will not play Sunday in the game against the Kansas City Chiefs and backup quarterback Jordan Love will get his first start.
Now, there are calls for the National Football League to suspend him if he has not been following the many guidelines for unvaccinated players. Rodgers was at a Halloween party last weekend with several other players.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NFL stories via Google! Follow Us
The NFL and NFL Players Association agreed to COVID-19 protocols for the 2021 regular season.
The main difference between vaccinated and unvaccinated players is that vaccinated players don’t have to worry about being a “high-risk” close contact at any point. They also have more freedom to participate in activities than their unvaccinated counterparts. Vaccinated players can go out on the road and more easily spend time with teammates outside the facility, among other perks.
Unvaccinated players have more procedures they must follow to avoid falling into COVID protocol. They include the following:
- Unvaccinated individuals must be tested for COVID every day at the team facility. If a player misses even one day of testing, they will be required to test negative for COVID for five straight days before re-entering the facility. That’s what happened to Cam Newton before the final week of the Patriots’ preseason.
- Unvaccinated free agents must also test negative for five consecutive days before being allowed to enter a team facility.
- Unvaccinated players must wear masks at all times in the facility. They cannot gather in groups larger than three players and on the road “are prohibited from congregating, visiting or mingling with individuals outside of the traveling party once they have arrived in the game city.”
- Unvaccinated individuals are subject to fines if they break COVID protocols. This can include anything from failing to wear a mask in the facility or going to an indoor concert or house party with more than 15 people.
It’s going to be interesting to see if the NFL comes down on the Packers hard if they find violations in the coming days.
