Aaron Rodgers will not be eligible to return to work until Saturday after he tested positive for COVID-19 last Wednesday. That has put his status for Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks in doubt, but the star quarterback has a good chance of being cleared.
As NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero explained, Rodgers does not have to produce a negative COVID test to be cleared to return. He just has to be symptom-free after the 10-day isolation period and get the green light from a team physician.
Aaron Rodgers acknowledged to @PatMcAfeeShow that he had symptoms that went away in a couple days. Here’s the rubric from the NFL-NFLPA protocols that lays out return to play. Saturday marks 10 days. No negative test required. pic.twitter.com/UXxpMOQjaJ
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 9, 2021
There has been some confusion about whether Rodgers has to produce a negative test. People who test positive for COVID-19 can continue to test positive for months after they have symptoms, which is why the NFL cannot base a player’s status strictly on a positive test.
If what Rodgers said on “The Pat McAfee Show” last week is true, he should be on track to face the Seahawks. The Green Bay Packers star said he recovered quickly from his symptoms thanks to treatment advice he received from Joe Rogan. As long as Rodgers is not experiencing symptoms, the Packers should have him back for a key NFC showdown.
