Jesus fucking Christ, Aaron Rodgers

Holy shit

The mystery just got a lot less beautiful.

Aaron Rodgers is out with COVID-19. He will not play against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, November 7. As a newly discovered unvaccinated player, Rodgers’ positive COVID-19 test requires him to distance from the Green Bay Packers for 10 days. Assuming all goes well and he receives negative tests and shows no symptoms, he could return the day before the Packers’ following game against the Seattle Seahawks. A big “if.”

The Packers just earned the top spot in the NFC at the midway point of the season with a 7–1 record. That is all in jeopardy now. Also now in jeopardy: several other things.

The cult of Aaron Rodgers has shrunk precipitously today, as it has come to light that the cheesehead hero of renown lied about his COVID-19 vaccination status. This is not the only status that changed with today’s news.

Aaron, you aren’t vaccinated? You insist on having a seat at the end of the table when it comes to making important decisions about the current state and ongoing fate of the franchise … and you aren’t even vaccinated against the greatest public health threat of the past 100 years?

What the fucking fuck?

It’s a simple jab. A few ouchy feelings and aches that go away in short order, for most people. Not a big deal. No more of an invasion of one’s privacy/freeduhm/rahyts/polticks than any of the other probably dozens of immunizations Rodgers (like the vast majority of homegrown Americans) have accepted for decades. Is that what’s stopping you? We really want to know. Is it just that you think you know better / are better / live better? Because that would be even worse.

Just because you have the right to do something, does not mean you are right to do it.

Do you have medical complications, ARod, that would make the vaccine an unacceptable risk? You have not said so. I know we are not supposed to ask. HIPAA is important and you have no need to disclose it. Privacy is your right.

However.

You are a public figure who has opined deeply on a number of subjects, including the thoughts, values and feelings of one Aaron Rodgers on multiple occasions. You didn’t hide then. Why now?

I liked the brave, thoughtful guy we thought you were.

Are there any Aaron Rodgers apologists left? ARod insists on having a say in how the Green Bay Packers are assembled, but cannot be persuaded to properly protect the most important position on the team, nor protect the rest of the team and organization. Rodgers wants to have a say in all the positions on the Green Bay Packers, except quarterback? Because you just bumped the team’s most important player out of the lineup. Nobody gave you that right.

Rodgers has not / will not partake in the worldwide phenomena of the lifesaving vaccine that so many toiled to create to save mankind. That’s not hyperbole. The COVID-19 vaccine is objectively:

• Safe.
• Effective. (Way more effective than your annual flu shot.)
• Freely available. It’s even now approved for kids as young as five.

Holy Shit, Aaron. Why not?

By the way, this is life-and-death stuff. COVID-19 kills. Maybe not you. But people you come in contact with. They do not deserve the consequences of your inaction.

To be clear, Rodgers, unlike some other prominent athletes and entertainers, could not own up to his unvaccinated status. Instead, when asked about his vaccination status on August 26, 2021, ah, Jesus. Here is the quote. Read it for your self:

Ryan Wood, the reporter in question, the Packers beat writer for the Green Bay Press Gazette, asked the question directly. You can see the response. Wood further explains on Twitter: “I will not speculate on whether Aaron Rodgers lied about his COVID-19 vaccination status in August without hearing what he has to say. It was odd Rodgers clarified he was “immunized” when asked if he was “vaccinated.” His explanation will be interesting, to say the least.”

Kudos to Wood for not wanting to speculate. However, read the quote. I will say it. It is not speculation to say Rodgers lied. It is reporting, not speculation. Rodgers deliberately deceived. Wood asked him if he was vaccinated. Rodgers said, “Yeah.” Rodgers followed it with, “I have been immunized.”

Wood has to continue to work with Rodgers and the Packers. So he is being professionally cool. But it’s clear: Rodgers lied. Rodgers’ lie will almost certainly have drastic impact on the Packers’ near-term future and may cause long-term damage to the organization and Green Bay community through contacts with players, staff, administration, the public … on and on.

Apparently, Rodgers was under the impression his homeopathic approach was good enough to grant him immunity from COVID-19. Jesus fucking Christ, Aaron. We did not think you were that stupid. We know many millions of Americans are that stupid, but we did not take you for one of them.

Holy shit, were we wrong.