Aaron Rodgers Says He'd Rather Do Pressers Via Zoom Than Wear A Mask On The Podium
The NFL was caught with its pants down when it assumed Aaron Rodgers' vaccination status, which showcased that the League grants privileges with its COVID guidelines. It was revealed in Week 9 that Rodgers is unvaccinated, and the privileges quickly timed out. Rodgers was ruled out against Kansas City last week because of COVID protocols, and the Packers lost.
With all eyes on Rodgers' return for the matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, he has decided not to attend in-person postgame media sessions to avoid violating the NFL's safety guidelines.
According to the New York Post, Rodgers will opt to hold postgame sessions via Zoom, which will allow him to avoid wearing masks. All unvaccinated players are required to wear masks in postgame press conferences, per NFL COVID protocols.
In previous postgame interviews, Rodgers didn't wear a mask, prompting the League to reiterate its stance that every unvaccinated player must mask up for the podium.
The NFL's memo reads, per USA Today:
“Clubs are reminded that any individual who is not fully vaccinated is required to wear a mask at all times when inside the club facility. This includes while giving media interviews or participating in media briefings conducted indoors either at the club facility or at the stadium on game day. Individuals who are not fully vaccinated may conduct media interviews outdoors or in the practice bubble without wearing a mask, provided that physical distancing is maintained at all times.”
The Green Bay quarterback sounds like he's sticking to his guns and won't get the jab. He'll also continue to skip the in-person restrictions and switch to Zoom for postgame media talks for the rest of the season.
Delve deeper into the NFL's differing treatment of vaccinated and unvaccinated players with Armando Salguero's latest article.
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