Aaron Rodgers faced widespread criticism in 2021 for admittedly misleading the public about his vaccination status during the COVID-19 pandemic. The New York Jets quarterback now says he regrets calling himself "immunized," according to an upcoming unauthorized biography, though he also insists he would've rejected a potential NFL mandate to be vaccinated against the coronavirus.
"Out of the Darkness: The Mystery of Aaron Rodgers," releasing this month from Ian O'Connor, includes quotes from Rodgers himself. And the former Green Bay Packers star admitted he should've taken a different approach when asked years ago if he had received a COVID vaccine.
"If there's one thing I wish could have gone different, it's that," Rodgers said, per ESPN, "because that's the only thing [critics] could hit me with."
At the time, Rodgers had told reporters he was "immunized" in an attempt to "appeal" the NFL's pandemic-related restrictions. While the NFL did not require players and staff to be vaccinated, it imposed strict rules involving masking, surveillance and COVID testing, for those without verified vaccination cards.
Rodgers later argued on "The Pat McAfee Show" that he was allergic to a specific ingredient -- polyethylene glycol, or PEG -- in the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, as ESPN reported.
"I had an immunization card from my holistic doctor, which looked similar [to the NFL's required ones]," Rodgers says in the upcoming book, per ESPN. "I wasn't trying to pawn it off as a vaccine card, but I said, 'Listen, here's my protocol. Here's what you can follow to look this up.' And it was an ongoing appeal."
Rodgers ultimately ended up being sidelined for 10 days, including a single regular-season game, due to testing positive to COVID-19 during the 2021 season. The NFL rejected his appeal to be deemed "vaccinated" despite not receiving actual vaccinations. The former MVP has repeatedly spoken out about COVID protocols in the years since, arguing the league's stances were "draconian" and advocating for alternative, independent research into medicine.