Green Bay Packers quarterback and three-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers will miss Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs after testing positive for COVID-19.
Rodgers intimated in August that he had received the vaccine, when he answered a reporter's question with, "Yes, I've been immunized." However, he did not meet the qualifications the NFL and the Players Association have set out for being "fully vaccinated."
As a result of testing positive for COVID-19 this week, Rodgers can't return to the field or team practice facilities for 10 days, even if he is asymptomatic.
Here's what we know at this moment:
Why did Aaron Rodgers choose the word 'immunized'?
NFL.com is reporting Rodgers received homeopathic treatment from his personal doctor before training camp to raise his antibody levels. He then petitioned the NFL to have the treatment qualify as equal to the league's approved vaccines.
Rodgers' petition for an exemption was denied.
"There’s guys on the team that haven’t been vaccinated. I think it’s a personal decision. I’m not going to judge those guys," Rodgers said in August. "There’s guys that have been vaccinated that have contracted COVID. So it’s an interesting issue."
Do the Packers have a team-wide COVID outbreak?
Star wide receiver Davante Adams and defensive coordinator Joe Barry both missed the team's game against the Arizona Cardinals due to COVID-19.
Allen Lazard, another wide receiver, was forced to sit out five days because he was an unvaccinated close contact of someone who tested positive. He has since been reinstated.
Third-string quarterback Kurt Benkert and cornerback Isaac Yiadom are also on the COVID-19 list.
Could the Packers be punished for not following COVID protocols?
The NFL will conduct an investigation into whether Rodgers or the Packers violated any of the league's COVID-19 rules.
Unvaccinated players are required to wear masks "at all times when inside the Club facility" and are subject to daily PCR testing.
Rodgers has been tested for COVID-19 on a daily basis, a person with knowledge of the situation tells USA TODAY Sports. However, it's unclear whether he has complied with the other regulations, which include not coming within six feet of other unvaccinated players while traveling or eating meals.
Rodgers has not worn a mask while speaking to the media at news conferences, which are held inside the team facility. NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy said the league is "aware of the current situation in Green Bay and will be reviewing with the Packers."
When can Aaron Rodgers return to the Packers?
Rodgers' 10-day quarantine runs through Nov. 13. He could rejoin the team after that, but would not be able to take part in any practices leading up to the Packers' game against the Seattle Seahawks on Nov. 14.
Backup quarterback Jordan Love has already been named the starter for this Sunday's game, when the 7-1 Packers take on the Kansas City Chiefs.
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