NFL Exec Calls 'B.S.' on Aaron Rodgers, Packers' Handling of COVID-19 Protocols

A number of executives and coaches around the NFL told ESPN's Adam Schefter that they believed their teams were held to different standards than Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in the wake of the news that Rodgers isn't vaccinated, tested positive for COVID-19 and potentially violated NFL masking mandates for unvaccinated players. 

"That's B.S. ... What's going on in Green Bay, that's not what teams were told by the NFL," one executive said. "Our players wore masks all the time. We made our guys that weren't playing wear masks."

One executive told Schefter he received a memo from the league that read, in part: "Any such individual with bench area access who is not fully vaccinated except for active players shall be required to wear masks at all times. Unvaccinated inactive players must also wear masks."

The issue for the Packers is that Rodgers appeared on the sideline of preseason games without a mask on. He also did media appearances unmasked. 

In August, Rodgers told reporters he was immunized. But on Friday, he said during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show that he was allergic to one of the ingredients in the mRNA vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna, and knew people who had adverse reactions to Johnson & Johnson's non-mRNA vaccine. 

That vaccine was also briefly suspended earlier in 2021. 

Under the NFL's coronavirus rules for unvaccinated players, Rodgers is out for at least 10 days should he remain asymptomatic. The earliest he's able to return to the Packers is on Nov. 13, a day before they face the Seattle Seahawks. 

Roders is not available for the team's Week 9 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.