Packers backmost Aaron Rodgers is successful the NFL’s COVID-19 protocol and volition miss this weekend's crippled astatine Kansas City.
Green Bay manager Matt LaFleur confirmed that Rodgers was successful the protocol, but would not accidental if Rodgers had tested affirmative nor if the reigning NFL MVP has been vaccinated.
“I’m not going to get into immoderate of our coaches’ oregon players’ vaccination status,” LaFleur said.
LaFleur besides didn't speculate connected however agelong Rodgers mightiness beryllium out.
“I conscionable cognize that helium won’t beryllium disposable this week,” LaFleur said. “And we person a large hostile we’re going against, and past we’ll code adjacent week erstwhile we get there.”
Rodgers is the latest Packers subordinate to woody with the coronavirus. Wide receivers Davante Adams, a 2020 All-Pro, and Allen Lazard missed past week’s triumph astatine Arizona due to the fact that of COVID-19 protocols.
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Vaccinated players who trial affirmative are allowed to instrumentality aft they person 2 antagonistic tests that are taken astatine slightest 24 hours apart. Unvaccinated players who trial affirmative are isolated for astatine slightest 10 days.
Sources told NFL Media that Rodgers has not received 1 of the COVID-19 vaccines.
Rodgers was asked astatine an August 26 media league whether helium had been vaccinated.
“Yeah, I’ve been immunised,” Rodgers replied. “You know, there’s a batch of speech astir it, astir the league, and a batch of guys who person made statements and not made statements, owners who person made statements. There’s guys connected the squad that haven’t been vaccinated. I deliberation it’s a idiosyncratic decision. I’m not going to justice those guys. There are guys that’ve been vaccinated that person contracted COVID. It’s an absorbing contented that I deliberation we’re going to spot played retired the full season.”
Rodgers antecedently had sought and was denied an exemption from the NFL-NFLPA COVID-19 protocols based connected his antibody levels successful the offseason, which near his presumption arsenic unvaccinated, NFL Media reported.
Rodgers received homeopathic attraction from his idiosyncratic doc to rise his antibody levels and asked the NFLPA to reappraisal his status.
However the NFL-NFLPA jointly designated infectious illness advisor and the league agreed that Rodgers' attraction did not suffice for extortion from the coronavirus.
Last season's MVP remained taxable to a assortment of restrictions, including regular testing, mask-wearing and high-risk adjacent interaction protocol that would unit him to isolate for 5 days based connected enactment with a affirmative individual, adjacent if helium tested negative.
The star's vaccination presumption has raised eyebrows successful the US media, particularly since Rodgers has attended respective property conferences without a mask, successful contravention of league protocols.
In a statement, the NFL said: "The superior work for enforcement of the COVID-19 protocols wrong nine facilities rests with each club. Failure to decently enforce the protocols has resulted successful subject being assessed against idiosyncratic clubs successful the past. The league is alert of the existent concern successful Green Bay and volition beryllium reviewing the substance with the Packers."
LaFleur was asked whether Rodgers' August 26 remark astir being “immunised” mightiness beryllium seen arsenic misleading to fans if the backmost was so unvaccinated.
“That’s a large question for Aaron,” LaFleur said. “I’m not going to remark connected it.”
Green Bay’s backup backmost is 2020 first-round draught prime Jordan Love, who has thrown 7 passes successful his abbreviated career.
The third-stringer, Kurt Benkert, is connected the signifier squad but was placed connected the COVID-19 reserve database connected Tuesday. That leaves Love arsenic the lone disposable backmost connected Green Bay's roster, astatine slightest for now.
Love’s lone regular-season crippled appearances came erstwhile helium played the 4th fourth of a 38-3 season-opening nonaccomplishment to New Orleans, and took 3 kneel-downs astatine the extremity of a 35-17 triumph implicit Detroit. LaFleur said Love has been moving chiefly with the scout squad since the commencement of the season.
“I said (to the team), ‘It’s a large challenge. Nobody’s going to consciousness atrocious for america and we each person to hole to the champion of our quality to spell down determination and get a win,' “ LaFleur said. ”And that’s the mindset. They’re not going to postpone oregon cancel the game. We person a crippled to play and it’s a next-man up mentality and that’s however we’ve operated for everybody. I deliberation our guys volition rally astir Jordan. I’ve got a batch of assurance successful him and what a large accidental for him to showcase what helium tin do."
LaFleur said helium had “briefly” spoken with Rodgers since the quality came out. He besides talked with Love to fto the second-year pro cognize to expect to commencement Sunday's game.
“We speech astir having that no-flinch mentality and I didn’t spot immoderate flinch successful him,” LaFleur said. “I deliberation he’s excited astir the opportunity. I deliberation he’ll hole the close mode and springiness it everything helium has.”
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