NFL fans torch Aaron Rodgers for complaining about being villainized over his COVID take

Aaron Rodgers is once again defending his stance on COVID-19, but fan reactions indicate that his arguments are not resonating.

During a Sept. 10 appearance on “Not Just Football with Cam Heyward,” the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback accused the media and public of hypocrisy. He claimed that while his opinions on other topics were celebrated, he was abandoned when he challenged COVID-19 restrictions.

Fans on X showed little sympathy.

“He said a ton of dumb lies and ruined his own legacy,” one fan tweeted.

“Rogers claimed to be ‘immunized.’ That’s the catalyst for the controversy, and he’s rightly criticized for it. He had the ability to take a stand and didn’t, until it was convenient,” another added.

“Weird that people dont realize they can be right about some things, and wrong about others,” a third commented.

Here are a few more reactions.

“It’s probably more so he hasn’t shut the f**k about it for the past 6 years,” one fan wrote.

“It’s because he’s very bad at critical thinking and the Covid stuff he says has probably hurt people,” another added.

“He didn’t speak out on Covid. He lied for months and put people’s lives at risk,” a fan tweeted.

Aaron reflected on his past remarks, including ranking Colin Kaepernick among the NFL’s top 64 quarterbacks and condemning anti-Muslim comments during a moment of silence, which earned him a thank-you note from President Obama at the time.

The controversy started in August 2021 when Rodgers told reporters he was “immunized” while being unvaccinated according to NFL rules. He sought a medical exemption due to an mRNA allergy concern. After testing positive in November, he was fined $14,650 and missed a game due to COVID protocols. On “The Joe Rogan Experience,” he admitted the phrasing was misleading and expressed regret in a 2024 biography.

In Cam Heyward’s podcast, Rodgers stood by his 2021 “immunized” claim, emphasizing it in his ongoing NFL appeal over his vaccination status. He argued that unvaccinated players faced mistreatment and mentioned the prevalence of fake vaccination cards in locker rooms. He also renewed his criticism of Dr. Anthony Fauci, calling him a “criminal” and questioned why a league doctor labeled him a conspiracy theorist when vaccinated scouts still tested positive.

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Also Read: “I told you I’ll be on right side of history”: Aaron Rodgers doubles down on COVID vaccine stance while calling out Anthony Fauci

Aaron Rodgers’s COVID saga that won’t stay buried

Aaron Rodgers’ recent comments follow a heated exchange on Aug. 5 during “The Pat McAfee Show,” where he labeled Fauci an “absolute coward” for pleading the Fifth Amendment over 100 times in a Republican-led Senate hearing on the pandemic response. Fauci’s attorney, David Schertler, told The Athletic that Rodgers “doesn’t know what he’s talking about” and advised him to “stick to football.”

Steelers spokesperson Burt Lauten stated that players “are entitled to their own personal views,” while coach Mike McCarthy emphasized his focus on football rather than his quarterback’s off-field remarks.

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Edited by Joseph Schiefelbein