Aaron Rodgers came out swinging at what he called the “woke mob” after he tested positive for COVID-19 last week, but the Green Bay Packers star is now expressing regret over the way he handled the situation.
Rodgers began his regular appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” Tuesday by essentially apologizing for the “misleading” comments he made about his vaccination status over the summer.
"I acknowledge that I made some comments that people might have felt were misleading.. to anybody who felt misled by those comments I take full responsibility" ~@AaronRodgers12#PatMcAfeeShowLIVE pic.twitter.com/i9F7ojd8w8
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 9, 2021
Rodgers was then asked if he chose to address his previous comments because of the backlash he has faced over the past week. He said he respects that the topic of the pandemic is a “charging” one for a lot of people and that he understands public health is a serious issue.
"I understand that this issue in general is very charging to a lot of people because we're talking about public health.. I respect everybody's opinion" ~@AaronRodgers12#PatMcAfeeShowLIVE pic.twitter.com/vK8nBFUTHd
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 9, 2021
There are a lot of people who are furious with Rodgers simply because he is unvaccinated. Rodgers took aim at those people last week and criticized the media for trying to out and shame those who have not gotten the COVID-19 vaccine.
Other people were bothered by how Rodgers answered a question about his vaccination status before the season. When asked if he was vaccinated, he responded that he is “immunized.” It turns out he was referring to a homeopathic treatment he underwent. Rodgers admitted to McAfee last week that he planned to respond that way when asked about his vaccination status. He knew the response would be a way to get people off his back without explicitly lying. That is what he expressed regret over on Tuesday.
Rodgers is obviously trying to get the focus back to football. He should be cleared from COVID-19 in time to face the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. His Packers are 7-2 and one of the best teams in the NFC. The last thing they need is to be answering questions about Rodgers’ views on politics and public health.
If Rodgers needs someone to defend him, his fiancee Shailene Woodley proved with an animated social media rant (see it here) that she is willing to handle that.
