Why was Antonio Brown suspended and not Aaron Rodgers over COVID controversy?
Stupidity seems to be as viral as COVID nowadays. First, Aaron Rodgers and now, Antonio Brown have been confirmed to be misleading people about their vaccination status. But both of them have had to endure different reactions from the league. Aaron Rodgers did not face any sanctions from the NFL, while Antonio Brown has been suspended for three games. Where does this apparent disparity in treatment arise from? We analyze their cases in detail to see why Aaron Rodgers and Antonio Brown were treated differently.
Aaron Rodgers, Antonio Brown and COVID callousness
Let's look at Aaron Rodgers' case first. He was asked by reporters if he was vaccinated, and he replied in the affirmative, before following up with the qualifier that he was "immunized." Since he also went on to say that he would not judge other unvaccinated players, it made it seem as if he was vaccinated.
🚨UnVaccinated🚨
After testing positive for covid, fans found this interview from August when @packers QB #AaronRodgers told reporters that he's “immunized” when asked about his vaccination status.
#AllPurposeJournalist #AllPurposeReporter https://t.co/cVq035hhnW
During this time, even though he misrepresented his position to the media and the wider world, the Green Bay Packers and the NFL were aware of his unvaccinated status. So Aaron Rodgers was tested on a daily basis, and that is how his infection with the virus was caught.
Despite that, Aaron Rodgers was fined by the NFL because he attended a Halloween party. There are those who would argue he should have been fined more because he broke protocols by not wearing a mask during indoor press conferences. Maybe, even though he was cited for a single violation, the fine subsumed the repeated infractions related to not wearing a mask. Additionally, the Packers were also fined for the breach, which may be the league's way of saying they held the team more responsible than the player for not enforcing the protocols.
Antonio Brown's position is markedly different. He submitted a fake vaccination card to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the league. He then realized his error later and got vaccinated. But during a couple of weeks between presenting the fake card and getting vaccinated, he exposed his teammates and other people around him because he followed protocols for those who were vaccinated, even though he was not.
So, in the case of Antonio Brown, he misrepresented his position to everyone, including those in the league, and, therefore, breached protocols without the NFL being aware that he was doing so. Additionally, getting a fake vaccination card could be considered a felony offense.
The NFL suspended Tampa Bay Bucs players Antonio Brown and Mike Edwards for 3 games, saying they misrepresented their vaccination status. Brown allegedly used a fake vaccination card.
Therefore, the league had no choice but to suspend him. He had not committed a mere infraction; he had potentially committed a crime, and unlike Aaron Rodgers, Antonio Brown had misled his employers.
In summary, Aaron Rodgers misrepresented his vaccination status to the media but informed his team and the NFL about his true status and was accordingly tested daily behind closed doors. Antonio Brown lied about his vaccination status by forging a document, and the NFL had no idea that he was not complying by the protocols for those unvaccinated, since they believed he was. Hence, Antonio Brown was suspended while Aaron Rodgers got away with a fine.
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