Rodgers 'not going to judge' unvaccinated teammates

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is vaccinated against COVID-19 but won't hold a grudge against his teammates who aren't.

"Yeah, I've been immunized," Rodgers said Thursday, according to Jason Wilde of the Wisconsin State Journal. "There's a lot of conversation around it, around the league, and a lot of guys who have made statements and not made statements, owners who have made statements. 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."

COVID-19 cases are rising around the NFL. The Tennessee Titans are facing the most prominent cluster of cases with several players on reserve and multiple coaches sidelined.

The NFL has been testing vaccinated players every 14 days but sent a proposal to the NFLPA that would have vaccinated players tested every seven days, according to ESPN's Kevin Seifert. Unvaccinated players have been tested daily.

Rodgers said he researched the vaccine on his own before getting it and didn't register for the shot merely to persuade teammates to follow suit. NFL teams with fewer vaccinated players could face a competitive disadvantage during the season, as the league doesn't plan to postpone games amid outbreaks as it did in 2020.

"I like to learn about everything that I'm doing, and there was a lot of research that even went into that," Rodgers said. "It's going to be interesting to see how things work moving forward."

Rodgers successfully navigated the 2020 season without vaccines available, earning his third career MVP award after throwing 48 touchdowns to only five interceptions.