303abuser
Aaron Rodgers, the Green Bay Packers quarterback and the NFL’s reigning MVP, will be sidelined for at least 10 days after testing positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday.
News of Rodgers’ positive test would be big enough on its own, especially with the Packers traveling to Kansas City for a marquee game against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs on Sunday. But Rodgers’ situation is layered and has opened up the quarterback, the Packers and the league itself to more questions.
What do we know?
The Packers immediately ruled Rodgers out on Wednesday after learning of his positive test result.
This timeline is important, because only unvaccinated players are placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list for a defined, extended period of time.
Vaccinated players have the chance to clear COVID-19 protocols and return to play in fewer than 10 days by testing negative twice. That is why the Packers held out hope until hours before their Week 8 game at Arizona that receiver Davante Adams, who is vaccinated but tested positive, would be allowed to play last Thursday. Adams was not cleared to play, and remains on the reserve list.
The earliest Rodgers can return to the Packers is Nov. 13, the day before Green Bay plays the Seahawks at Lambeau Field.
Rodgers in late August was asked directly about his vaccination status. “Yeah, I’m immunized,” he said, adding that he would not pass judgment on teammates who chose not to get vaccinated.
NFL Network was the first to report Wednesday morning that Rodgers was not vaccinated.
So, did Rodgers lie?
A league source confirmed to The Athletic that Rodgers petitioned the NFL Players Association and the league in August for an exemption to its COVID-19 rules after receiving a homeopathic treatment. Doctors, lawyers and public health experts from both the union and the league declined Rodgers’ request. Thus, he was not considered fully vaccinated under the league’s protocols.
The Packers, the NFL and the union were aware of Rodgers’ unvaccinated status. A league source said the quarterback had been part of the daily testing program as required by the NFL’s protocols.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur would not confirm Rodgers’ vaccination status on Wednesday. When asked if Rodgers’ answer about being “immunized” this summer could be seen as misleading, LaFleur said: “That’s a great question for Aaron.”
Aaron Rodgers speaks to reporters on Sept. 26 after a game in San Francisco. (Jed Jacobsohn / Associated Press)
What does it mean, then, to be fully vaccinated under the NFL and NFLPA’s rules?
This is clearly outlined in the league’s 96-page protocol document.
A player is considered to be fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the second dose of a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The NFL and NFLPA, after consulting with public health advisers, decided players could also meet the vaccination requirement after a single dose of Pfizer or Moderna if they also showed significant antibodies from a prior confirmed COVID-19 infection.
Natural immunity alone and homeopathic treatments do not meet the league’s requirement to be considered fully vaccinated.
What are the protocols for vaccinated vs. unvaccinated players?
The league and union rules make daily life quite different for vaccinated and unvaccinated players.
But the basic tenets are that unvaccinated players are required to undergo daily testing and to wear masks at all times while indoors. They also have a litany of restrictions on their social lives, in and outside the team setting. Vaccinated players test once every seven days.
Did Rodgers break any of these rules, and how are these protocols enforced?
This is now something the NFL will investigate. Rodgers and the Packers could be subject to fines should the league find a violation. Two sources told The Athletic that neither Rodgers nor the team has been fined to this point.
“The primary responsibility for enforcement of the COVID protocols within club facilities rests with each club,” league spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement to The Athletic. “Failure to properly enforce these protocols has resulted in discipline being assessed against individual clubs in the past. The league is aware of the current situation in Green Bay and will be reviewing the matter with the Packers.”
LaFleur said the team is vigilant about following the league’s COVID-19 policies.
“I watch what these guys do,” LaFleur said. “I can only speak to our football space, but yeah, absolutely. We’ve got cameras everywhere. … I think our guys do an outstanding job with it.”
Rodgers, though, has not worn a mask during any of his weekly news conferences, which are held indoors in an auditorium-style room at Lambeau Field. He also has not worn a mask at any postgame news conferences, including Thursday night in Arizona.
So if the team and the league knew Rodgers was unvaccinated, why was he allowed to do this for multiple months?
Rodgers’ attendance at a Halloween party hosted by tight end Marcedes Lewis last weekend also might be of interest to the league. Rodgers widely shared on social media photographs of his John Wick costume, and other photos and videos showed him partying with teammates while unmasked.
The NFL’s protocols state that unvaccinated players cannot gather with more than three teammates away from the team facility (unless while traveling with the team), and cannot visit indoor bars, clubs or house parties or attend indoor concerts or “entertainment events.”
Players can be fined $14,650 for a first violation, and are subject to increasing discipline (up to one week’s salary, or a suspension) for repeated violations.
What must happen for Rodgers to return to the Packers?
Rodgers will now be required to isolate for 10 days. If he remains asymptomatic, the earliest he could return to the team is Nov. 13. That means in addition to missing Sunday’s game, Rodgers will miss all of Green Bay’s practices ahead of its matchup vs. Seattle.
His timeline could be extended if he experiences COVID-19 symptoms. In that case, he would not be cleared to return until posting two negative tests 24 hours apart and receiving approval from team doctors.
As they would with any positive test, the Packers and the NFL will now conduct contact tracing to determine if any other unvaccinated players will need to enter isolation as a result of contact with Rodgers. Vaccinated players are not subject to a five-day quarantine if they are deemed a close contact.
(Top photo: Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
