On Sunday, the former NFL star and current television sports analyst, 73, criticized the Green Bay Packers quarterback, 37, during Fox Sports' NFL coverage about Rodgers' decision not to get the COVID-19 vaccine despite telling reporters over the summer that he’d “been immunized.”
“I’d give Aaron Rodgers some advice,” Bradshaw saidin a clip of the broadcast. “It would have been nice if he’d just come to the Naval Academy and learned how to be honest. Learned not to lie. Because that’s what you did, Aaron. You lied to everyone.”
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“Unfortunately, we’ve got players that pretty much think about themselves and I’m extremely disappointed in the actions of Aaron Rodgers,” he added, detailing the country’s current divide about vaccination.
Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic; Jason Kempin/Getty Images
Former Dallas Cowboys head coachJimmy Johnsonand Hall of FamerHowie Longalso called Rodgers “selfish” during the broadcast.
“I respect his attitude toward being an individual. But this is a team game. In all honesty, I’m disappointed in his play on words for his explanation. I’m disappointed in some of his selfish actions,” Johnson said.
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Aaron Rodgers.Harry How/Getty
On Monday,Kareem Abdul-Jabbaralsocriticizedthe NFL star for saying he was immunized, “knowing that word would be interpreted as his being vaccinated.”
“What’s especially bothersome is that Aaron Rodgers didn’t just lie and threaten the health of those around him, he also damaged professional sports,” the NBA legend wrote in alengthy blog post.
“Rodgers' ignorance regarding the science of immunology brings back to life the old stereotype of the big dumb jock,” he added, citing information about the vaccine from the CDC and other health professionals.
Other high-profile athletes have supported Rodgers, like former NHL player Mike Fisher. Fisher, who is married to singerCarrie Underwood,wrote on Instagramover the weekend, “I stand with Aaron Rodgers.”
Said Fisher, “I believe in the freedom to choose what we put in our bodies and the freedom of conscience.”
Rodgers first told reporters andnews outletsin August that he’d “been immunized” ahead of the upcoming season for which some players have refused to get the vaccine. On Friday, Rodgers confirmed that he was unvaccinated and had contracted the virus, and asserted that he “didn’t lie in the initial press conference.”
“During that time, it was a very witch hunt that was going on across the league,” he said in an interview with thePat McAfee Show, noting that he felt there was a pressure to disclose personal health information, which he disagrees with.
“And at the time my plan was to say that I have been immunized,” the athlete continued. “It wasn’t some sort of ruse or lie, it was the truth. … Had there been a follow-up to my statement that I had been immunized. I would have responded with this, I would have said, ‘Look, I’m not, you know some sort of anti-vaxx, flat-earther. I am somebody who is a critical thinker.’ "
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Rodgers also shared that he had taken ivermectin, a drug often used to treat or prevent parasites in animals. The FDAhas not authorized or approvedthe drug for use in treating or preventing COVID-19, and in some cases where it was taken, people have been hospitalized.
The NFL currently does not require players to be fully vaccinated against COVID, but specific mandates from teams and venues vary due to local city and state laws. The Packers do not require vaccinations at their home stadium, Lambeau Field.
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source: people.com
