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Aaron Rodgers Lied, Plain And Simple
Aaron Rodgers lied. He didn’t ‘deceive’ anyone. The NFL knew it and went along with it until this week, when the Green Bay Packers announced he had COVID. In doing so, he has made a mockery of the League’s policy, putting Roger Goodell in another pickle not of his doing and exposing his teammates to the virus.
But more importantly, his lie has put the Packers season, and his, in jeopardy. (Not to mention his stated desire to become the permanent host of Jeopardy) The Packers, following a week one shellacking by New Orleans, have rolled off seven straight wins, including last Thursday night’s win over the previously undefeated Arizona Cardinals. And he is ruled out for Sunday’s game against Kansas City.
Bill Rhoden, ESPN columnist at The Undefeated, speaking yesterday on MSNBC, said the NFL “has to get this right.” Yes, it does, but Goodell’s number one job is to ‘protect the Shield.’ Or, to be entirely truthful, to obfuscate, delay and then, in the end, ignore it completely until the media and the public move on to the next scandal.
Rhoden only gets in partially right. The League knew Rogers was unvaccinated and didn’t impose their own rules on COVID-19 to protect everyone involved. In a statement to The Athletic, league spokesman Brian McCarthy said “The primary responsibility for enforcement of the COVID protocols within club…
