Green Bay’s star quarterback is back, which means fans also got to hear Aaron Rodgers‘ post-game interview for the first time since he missed the Packers’ game against the Kansas City Chiefs after testing positive for COVID-19.
During his post-game interview—which you can watch below—Rodgers, 37, addressed his many “emotions” after rejoining the Packers for their game against the Seattle Seahawks on November 14, 2021. When asked how he was feeling after his return, the quarterback replied, per Us Weekly, “A lot of emotions for sure. Good to be back with the guys, good to be back at home, good to be on the field, really. The most emotions from the whole night was probably walking off the field after the game. It definitely got me a little misty. It was good to feel those types of emotions and good to be back with the guys.”
Rodgers’ team won 17-0 against the Seahawks, making his return to the field all the more “special.” The quarterback told reporters, “I just don’t take these things for granted, walking off the field as a winner. It’s fun beating that squad. We’ve had some battles over the years.” The California native added, “Just walking out with Preston [Smith], who I have so much love and appreciation for, and then hearing that type of response from the crowd — it was a little extra special today.”
Prior to his return to the field, Rodgers was at the center of controversy after fans learned that he tested positive for COVID-19 on November 3, 2021. At the time, it was revealed that the quarterback—who previously claimed he was “immunized” when asked about his vaccination status during a press conference in August 2021—was actually unvaccinated. Social media exploded following the reports of his unvaccinated status, to which Rodgers initially shrugged off the criticism as another instance of “cancel culture.”
“I realize I’m in the crosshairs of the woke mob right now, so before my final nail gets put in my cancel culture casket, I think I’d like to set the record straight on so many of the blatant lies that are out there about myself right now,” the Packers quarterback said during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on November 5, 2021. “First of all, I didn’t lie in the initial press conference. During that time, it was a very—witch hunt that was going on across the league, where everybody in the media was so concerned about who was vaccinated, and who wasn’t, and what that meant, and who was being selfish, and who would talk about it, and what it meant if they said it was a personal decision.”
The NFL star continued, “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 some sort of anti-vax flat-Earther. I am somebody who is a critical thinker.’ You guys know me. I march to the beat of my own drum. I believe strongly in bodily autonomy and the ability to make choices for your body.”
After facing mounting criticism following his initial response, the Green Bay athlete offered an apology for those who felt misdirected by his comments about being “immunized.” Appearing on “The Pat McAfee Show” a second time, the former Jeopardy! guest host explained, “To anybody who may have felt misled by those comments, I take full responsibility for those comments. I’m excited about feeling better, I’m excited about moving forward.”
I’m human, stuff can definitely hurt your feelings. I shared an opinion that is polarizing,” he said at the time. “In the end, I have to stay true to who I am and what I’m about and I stand behind the things that I said.” He added, “I have no judgment. Hate isn’t going to bring us out of this pandemic. It’s gonna be connecting and love. I’m not going to hate on anybody that has said things about me. I believe everybody’s entitled to their opinion. I always will believe that. I think that it’s a time to move forward, for me, and talk about football. I’m thankful again, to be on the other side of this.”
Source: Stylecaster.com
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