Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers quarterback, has been confirmed positive for COVID-19 by a source to ESPN. He will not play Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Sources confirmed that Rodgers was unvaccinated by the NFL since the beginning of the season. This was first reported by NFL Network.
If Rodgers is found to be positive for any reason, he must remain in quarantine for at least 10 days. He cannot return to the hospital until Nov. 13, if he continues to be symptomatic.
Rodgers, 37 years old, asked the NFL for an alternative treatment. This would have allowed him to be treated the same way as someone who had received approved vaccines. Sources told ESPN. After much discussion, the league decided that Rodgers would not be eligible for the same treatment and that he would not be considered unvaccinated.
Sources claim Rodgers uses masking protocol when interacting with coaches and players at Lambeau Field's headquarters. Rodgers doesn't wear a mask in the media auditorium for his weekly and post-game news conferences. Other unvaccinated Packers players have been placed on Zoom rather than attending in-person media sessions.
When asked about his vaccination status, the reigning NFL MVP stated that he was "immunized" in August.
Rodgers stated at the time that there was a lot more conversation about it in the league and that there were many players who made statements but not statements and owners who made statements. "There are some guys on the team who have not been vaccinated. It's an individual decision. I won't judge these guys. There are COVID-infected men who have been vaccinated. It's an interesting topic that we'll see play out throughout the season.
Later, he added that he liked to know everything about what he was doing. There was also a lot of research into this. However, I mentioned that there have been positive tests and that it isn't just vaccinated people. It will be fascinating to see how things develop. There could be issues with non-vaccinated people being tested every other day, and vaccinated persons only being tested every two weeks.
Jordan Love will make his debut against Kansas City, in Rodgers' absence. The Packers (7-1) are on a seven-game winning streak, tied with the Cardinals and Rams for the NFC's best record.
Rodgers is the Packers second star player who has tested positive during the last week. Davante Adams, the receiver, was out last week due to a positive test. He missed last Thursday's victory over Arizona Cardinals.
After being considered a close contact with Adams, receiver Allen Lazard was also unable to attend last week's game.
Kurt Benkert, Packers practice squad quarterback, tweeted Tuesday that he had COVID-19. He was then placed on the reserve roster.
Due to COVID-19 protocols, the Packers were without Joe Barry as their defensive coordinator Monday.
Coach Matt LaFleur stated Monday that Adams was likely to be back by Thursday.
Caesars Sportsbook has changed the line dramatically for Sunday's game. As of Wednesday morning, the Chiefs opened as 2 point favorites. They had fallen to pick 'em. The Chiefs now stand at 8-point favorites, with 48 points total, down from 55 points on Sunday.
