‘Proud!’ Aaron Rodgers’ Estranged Dad Defends Him Amid Vaccine Controversy

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In his corner. Aaron Rodgers’ estranged dad is showing support for his son amid the controversy over the NFL quarterback’s COVID-19 vaccination status.

On Thursday, November 11, Ed Rodgers, 66, told USA Today that he was “proud” of his 36-year-old son and supported his decision to seek alternative forms of treatment for the coronavirus instead of getting vaccinated.

“I think he tried to probably treat himself naturally, like a lot of folks do,” Ed told the newspaper. “And there’s a lot of great natural things out there, which help mitigate the virus. So I’m proud of him. I’m proud that he went that route.”

While Ed said he has not spoken to Aaron about his recent troubles, he revealed that “things are progressing” in their strained relationship.

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“The main thing [is] I just support him,” he added. “I’m proud of him. I trust his judgment and decisions. I think that’s what I would’ve done.”

In a 2017 interview, Ed insinuated that Aaron’s celebrity had caused a rift between him and his family, including his younger brother, Bachelorette alum Jordan Rodgers. “Fame can change things,” he told The New York Times at the time, describing his relationship with the football player as “complicated.”

Aaron reportedly hasn’t spoken to his family since the end of 2014, though it has never been clear exactly why the rift began. At the time, a source told Us Weekly that his relationship with then-girlfriend Olivia Munn played a role in the estrangement. “The family says Aaron stopped talking to them,” an insider said in January 2017. “While Aaron says they don’t talk because his family doesn’t like Olivia.”

Jordan and Ed Rodgers Courtesy of Jordan Rodgers/Instagram

The quarterback’s dad’s comments came one day after he was fined $14,650 by the NFL for violating COVID-19 protocols after he tested positive for the coronavirus, and it was subsequently revealed that he was unvaccinated.

Earlier this year, the former Jeopardy! guest host said that he was “immunized,” but he has since admitted that he didn’t take any of the three available vaccines. “I didn’t lie in the initial press conference,” he claimed on The Pat McAfee Show on November 5.

In that same interview, the 2020 MVP revealed that he underwent his own methods to “stimulate my immune system to create a defense against COVID” following his personal “research” into the COVID-19 vaccine after learning he was allergic to an ingredient in the Pfizer and Moderna shots.

The University of California, Berkeley alum cited blood clot concerns for his reason for not getting the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. (The J&J shot was briefly pulled due to extremely rare side effects involving blood clots in adult women younger than 50 years old. It was reevaluated and deemed safe.)

Aaron, who is engaged to Shailene Woodley, also stated that he worried the vaccine would cause fertility issues. The FDA and CDC have both repeatedly stated that there is absolutely no evidence that any of the vaccines cause fertility issues.

After quarantining, Aaron is expected to be cleared to play on Saturday, November 13 — but the athlete warned that he may have to sit out depending on how fast his body recovers from his bout of COVID-19.

“There’s a health hurdle that I have to [clear],” he told McAfee on November 9. “As far as movement, sweating, getting into it, making sure that my body, especially [my] heart is fine with physical exertion.”

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