NFL COVID rules: Will Aaron Rodgers get suspended for lying and breaking league protocol for months?
The news broke today that Aaron Rodgers is going to miss the upcoming game against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs due to testing positive for COVID-19.
#Packers QB Aaron Rodgers is unvaccinated, per me and @MikeGarafolo. That’s why he’s out for Sunday vs. the #Chiefs.
An apparent case of the virus is affecting several of the Packers' players, including receivers Davante Adams and Allen Lazard, who missed last week's Thursday night game against the Arizona Cardinals for the same reason.
Despite the bombshell this morning about Rodgers missing the game, there is an even bigger issue at hand for the league concerning COVID rules and protocols.
What are COVID rules for unvaccinated players?
Here’s the video on August 26th when Aaron Rodgers was directly asked if he had been vaccinated https://t.co/kskQDRpWi8
Back in August, Rodgers was asked about his COVID vaccination status and he stated that he was "immunized," which led several to believe that he was vaccinated. However, NFL reporter Ian Rapoport stated that Rodgers is indeed unvaccinated.
For the 2021-2022 NFL season, the NFL and the NFLPA agreed to rules put in place regarding players that are unvaccinated. Despite anyone's opinions on the matter, any player in the NFL must adhere to the rules, protocols, and guidelines as agreed upon.
Here are some of the COVID-19 protocols that unvaccinated players must follow:
Daily testing
A day of missed COVID tests means a player must test negative for five consecutive days before they are permitted to return to the team facility.
Must wear a mask at all times while at the team facility
Unvaccinated players cannot gather in groups of more than three people while at the team facility and when out on the road, cannot mingle with others outside of the people they are traveling with (the team in this case).
Free agents to test negative for 5 days
Free agents that are unvaccinated must also test negative consecutively for five days before they are permitted to enter the team facility
If a player were to break one of these rules, they could be subjected to fines per the rules from the NFL and NFLPA agreements constructed prior to the season.
The fines could be for things such as not wearing a mask at all times while inside the team facility or going to an event with more than 15 people.
As for whether or not Rodgers will be suspended for lying, that remains to be seen but does not seem likely to happen. The rules state that a player in violation of COVID rules can be subjected to fines, but although there is no mention of possible suspensions, the NFL is known for dealing out their own punishments, so this may be more of a wait-and-see case with Rodgers.
In the meantime, it's time for Jordan Love to show what he's been learning by observing one of the best to ever play the game this Sunday against the Chiefs.