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Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers is manipulative, cunning, and cerebral. These attributes serve him well on the football field, but the problem is he’s the same guy in real life too.
Over yet another grandiose Super Bowl weekend, the NFL highly promoted the aesthetic of equality and Black inclusion. Amid Brian Flores’ lawsuit alleging discrimination, Twitter took notice of the blaring hypocrisy immediately.
At the annual NFL Honors ceremony, the league announces that Aaron Rodgers is this year’s MVP.
In his acceptance speech, Rodgers graciously thanked those who helped him succeed along the way and exited the stage without much hoopla.
Yet hoopla and Aaron Rodgers have become synonymous over this turbulent 2021-22 season. After blatantly misleading the press about his vaccination status, the NFL allows Rodgers to continue playing without missing a beat.
Aaron Rodgers Embodies White Privilege
Before being caught in the apparent lie, Rodgers participates in all team activities as if he were vaccinated. Once found out, he became the victim.
His response to the escalating public and peer criticism? Double down.
After weeks of interviews with right-wing talking points, it was clear he wasn’t shifting his tone. Because of the fallout, the NFL eventually handed down a pillowy fine to Rodgers of $14,650 for violating COVID policies. Contextually, Aaron Rodgers made over 29 million dollars in the 2021 season.
Yet if we look at the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets Kyrie Irving, sports pundits and even NBA Commissioner Adam Silver were adamant that he get vaccinated. Irving isn’t afforded the same luxuries as Rodgers, to simply live in his truth and let the world mold itself around his beliefs. As a result of Irving’s non-vaccination status, he was forced to miss most Nets games and has only been allowed to compete in away games.
And Kaep still ain’t played.
A better example may be that of Colin Kaepernick, who for the past five years, has been sidelined by the NFL for simply speaking the truth about policing and justice in America. The zero-sum seems pretty obvious. When a Black man tells the truth, the NFL silences them. When a White man tells a lie, the world convinces itself it’s true. See Jan. 6.
Always into something, even ex-NFL Disruptor Antonio Brown was suspended three games this season for “misrepresenting his vaccination status.” Brown used a fake vaccination card to serve as his proof until the truth was revealed; Brown would later report that he received the shot in order to return for the season. (before leaving again)
Yet Aaron Rodgers, who claimed he was “immunized” without actually having taken a COVID-19 vaccine remained in position for each game. The discount-double standards could not be more obvious. Yet, men like Rodgers consistently behave in ways that Black athletes are severely punished for. They do this all while crying “liberty and freedom.”
While Black Halftime entertainers are nice along with positive commercials and unifying messages, the NFL harbors self-righteous Good Ol’ Boy’s.
And Aaron Rodgers is one of them.