What Did Aaron Rodgers Estranged Father Say About His Son's COVID-19 Controversy?

Aaron Rodgers recently rocked the NFL — but for the wrong reason. The Green Bay Packers star tested positive for COVID-19 and was required to quarantine, per The New York Times. During training camp in August, he told reporters he was "immunized" against the coronavirus, per NYT. But on November 5, he appeared on SeriusXM's "The Pat McAfee Show" — a program on which he appears every week — and confirmed that he is unvaccinated and instead took ivermectin, which, per the FDA, is used to treat parasites in animals. 

"I realize I'm in the crosshairs of the woke mob right now," he said (via Yahoo! Sports). "So before my final nail gets put in my cancel culture casket, I think I'd like to set the record straight ..." He went on to claim that he didn't lie when he told reporters he was immunized and spoke critically of vaccine mandates. "I'm not some sort of anti-vax, flat-earther," he said. "I believe strongly in bodily autonomy and the ability to make choices for your body, not to have to acquiesce to some sort of woke culture or crazed individuals who say you have to do something."

Now, Rodgers' estranged father is speaking out on his son's controversy. And what he has to say may surprise you.

Aaron Rodgers has not spoken with his father Ed Rodgers since 2014, according to The New York Times. "Fame can change things," Ed told the paper in 2017, referring to his son's decision to cut him off. But it seems that not all love is lost — at least as far as Ed is concerned. 

He spoke with USA Today about Aaron's recent COVID-19 controversy and voiced nothing but support for his son. "​​I think he tried to probably treat himself naturally, like a lot of folks do. And there's a lot of great natural things out there, which help mitigate the virus," Ed told the outlet. "So I'm proud of him. I'm proud he went that route." Ed also voiced his own skepticism about the vaccine, saying that "There's a lot of things that aren't so good about [it]."

Ed also agreed with Aaron's belief that he didn't lie when he said he was immunized, dismissing his son's critics as "haters." "I'm not sure why people think he misled anybody," he said.