Aaron Rodgers cleared to play after unvaccinated quarterback’s Covid diagnosis

The unvaccinated Green Bay Packers player had to miss last week’s game following a Covid diagnosis

Green Bay Packers superstar Aaron Rodgers has been cleared to return to the field, the team confirmed on Saturday, after the unvaccinated quarterback was sidelined for a week-and-a-half due to a positive Covid diagnosis.

The 2020 league MVP caused a massive stir when it was revealed he was unvaccinated and had a case of Covid, after previously telling reporters he had been “immunised” against coronavirus.

The star QB, who will likely feature in Sunday’s matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, initially lashed out amid the controversy, invoking Martin Luther King, Jr., cancel culture, and the famous abortion rights slogan “my body, my choice” as he defended his actions.

“I realise I’m in the crosshairs of the woke mob right now, so before the final nail gets put in my cancel culture casket, I’d like to set the record straight on some of the blatant lies that are out there about me now,” Mr Rodgers told a radio host, arguing he was not an “anti-vax flat earther,” but rather a “critical thinker” who believed he had an allergy to the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.

Rather than get the vaccines, Rodgers said he consulted with alternative podcaster Joe Rogan and used a number of unproven fringe Covid treatments like ivermectin.

He later apologised, telling the Pat McAfee Show earlier this week that “...I misled some people about my status, which I take full responsibility of, those comments. But in the end, I have to stay true to who I am and what I’m about. I stand behind the things that I said.”

The National Football League fined the Packers $300,000 and penalized Rodgers and teammate Allen Lazard personally to the tune of $14,650, stating the players broke league protocol by attending a Halloween party despite being unvaccinated.

“We respect the League’s findings and we recognize the importance of adherence to the COVID protocols to keep our team and organization safe and healthy,” Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy told CNN. “We will continue to educate the team regarding the importance of the protocols and remain committed to operating within the protocols.”

Criticism rained on Rodgers from many quarters, with basketball legend and writer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar penning a column that contrasted the ways the Green Bay QB was treated for his actions, compared to apparent blackballing former 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick got for protesting against racism and police brutality.

“I can’t help but think of Colin Kaepernick, who was blacklisted by the NFL for passively expressing his frustration with systemic racism – a brave act meant to help his community and save lives – while multi-millionaire Rodgers will continue to play, despite lying to the fans and his teammates and putting innocent lives in danger,” the legendary Laker wrote on his Substack blog.

The White House, meanwhile, condemned Rodgers for spreading “misinformation” about the coronavirus pandemic.