Aaron Rodgers Admits Why He Confused Everyone Before His COVID-19 Vaccine Controversy

Aaron Rodgers, NFL star and quarterback for Wisconsin's Green Bay Packers, sparked controversy in late 2021 when he publicly declared that he was "immunized" after being asked about his COVID-19 vaccination status in an August press conference. In November, however, he tested positive for COVID, and subsequently revealed that he was not actually vaccinated (Rodgers claimed he was allergic to an ingredient used in the mRNA vaccines, but many have disputed the likelihood of this claim, especially since there are other non-mRNA vaccination options, most notably the Johnson & Johnson vaccine). 

After contracting COVID, Rodgers instead intended to use homeopathic treatments in the vaccine's stead. While unvaccinated, Rodgers committed multiple actions in violation of the NFL's guidelines for unvaccinated people, including attending parties and not wearing masks during postgame press conferences. Rodgers was eventually fined more than $14,000 as punishment for these violations, while his team was fined $300,000 in total. 

Now, nearly a year later, Rodgers has come out and addressed last year's controversy, admitting why he confused everyone in the media and public alike. 

During an interview with Joe Rogan on August 27, Aaron Rodgers opened up about why he told the press he was "immunized" against COVID-19 when asked if he was vaccinated. "I'd been ready the entire time for this question and had thought about how I wanted to answer it," Rodgers said. "And I had come to the conclusion I'm going to say, 'I've been immunized.' And if there's a follow-up, then talk about my process."

Rodgers went on to say that the public would either "understand what that means, [or] maybe they don't. Maybe they follow up. They didn't follow up. So then I go the season [with] them thinking — some of them — that I was vaccinated," all but admitting that he willingly misled the media and the public with his nebulous comments. 

Like Rogan himself, Rodgers admitted to taking the antiparasitic agent Ivermectin when he contracted the virus in November 2021, and even gave a shoutout to Rogan at the time. "I consulted with a now good friend of mine, Joe Rogan, after he got COVID, and I've been doing a lot of stuff that he recommended," Rodgers said on the Pat McAfee Show in November. Ivermectin has not been approved by the FDA in treating symptoms of COVID-19, and its efficacy has been disputed by scientists and immunologists for over a year now. Nonetheless, it has taken off as a drug used to treat COVID-19, namely among vaccine skeptics.