Aaron Rodgers has been fined for violating COVID-19 protocols, according to ESPN. The Green Bay Packers quarterback and his teammate, wide receiver Allen Lazard, were each fined $14,650. The Packers were also hit with a $300,000 fine for violations of protocols that were agreed to by the NFL and NFL Players Association.
Rodgers, who is unvaccinated, was specifically fined for not wearing a mask during his news conferences and attending a party away from the team facility. Rodgers was at the party with Lazard and several other Packers teammates and violated the protocol that prevents unvaccinated players from gathering in groups of more than three.
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“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 Mark Murphy said in a statement to ESPN. “We will continue to educate the team regarding the importance of the protocols and remain committed to operating within the protocols.”
This all started when Rodgers tested positive for COVID-19 last week. It was then determined he was unvaccinated but told reporters he was “immunized.” He called out the media and the “woke mob” when talking about his vaccination status on The Pat McAfee Show on Friday. He appeared on the show again this week and admitted to being misleading about his vaccination status.
“I made some comments that people might have felt were misleading. And to anybody who felt misled by those comments, I take full responsibility for those comments,” Rodgers said Tuesday, per CNN. “I understand that this issue, in general, is very charging to a lot of people because we are talking about public health. I totally respect that. I made a decision that was in the best interest based on consulting with my doctors. And I understand that not everybody is going to understand that necessarily. But I respect everybody’s opinion.”
Rodgers missed Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs, and the earliest he can return to the team is on Saturday. “I believe that people are entitled to their opinion and even it’s a thing that’s unfavorable of me,” Rodgers said. “But I’m going to continue to try and be the best version of me moving forward and I’m excited about getting back on the field as soon as possible.”
