Bob Costas on ‘disingenuous’ Aaron Rodgers: ‘his reputation is going to be hurt’

On Thursday’s Cuomo Prime Time, longtime sportscaster Bob Costas stopped by to discuss the drama surrounding three-time NFL MVP, Aaron Rodgers. The Green Bay quarterback tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week, and controversy arose when it was soon revealed by the NFL Network that he is not vaccinated despite telling reporters in August that he has “been immunized.”

Rodgers received homeopathic treatment from his personal doctor before training camp to raise his antibody levels, according to NFL.com, and had sought and was denied an exemption from the NFL-NFL Players Association COVID-19 protocols, leaving his status as unvaccinated.

Rodgers will miss Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs and can't return to the field or team practice facilities for ten days as a result. Plus, as Costas says, the way Rodgers has handled the situation is not good.

“There are a lot of people already in the media who cover the NFL on a daily basis, which I no longer do, who have labeled him a liar,” Costas said. “If you want to be extremely kind, you could say that he was disingenuous. He was obviously comfortable with most of the media and football fans nearly unanimously believing he was vaccinated.”

He compared the situation to other high-profile athletes who have chosen not to get vaccinated, naming NFL wide receiver Cole Beasley and quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Carson Wentz, along with NBA star Kyrie Irving. But he said the difference is that they’re not afraid to talk about it.

“No matter how anti-facts, anti-science and anti-common sense some of the anti-vaxxers are,” Costas said of the aforementioned athletes. “Say whatever else you want, they've all owned it, they’ve all come out and said, ‘this is what i believe, this is what I'm doing.’ Aaron Rodgers was disingenuous about it.”

Video transcript

BOB COSTAS: There are a lot of people already in the media who cover the NFL on a daily basis, which I no longer do, who have labeled him a liar. If you want to be extremely kind, you could say that he was disingenuous.

He was obviously comfortable with most of the media. And football fans, nearly unanimously, believing that he was vaccinated.

KYLIE MAR: Long time sportscaster Bob Costas stopped by Cuomo Prime Time Thursday to discuss the drama surrounding three time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers. After the Green Bay quarterback tested positive for COVID 19 earlier this week, it was revealed that he is not vaccinated despite telling reporters in August that he has, quote, "been immunized."

Costas compared the situation to other high profile athletes who have chosen not to get vaccinated, like quarterbacks Kirk Cousins, and Carson Wentz, and NBA star Kyrie Irving. And he said the difference is that at least those guys are owning it.

BOB COSTAS: They've all come out and said, this is what I believe. This is what I'm doing. Aaron Rodgers was disingenuous about it. And I think his reputation is one of the greatest players of all time. That's obvious, but his reputation is going to take a hit out of this. He may get some support, but on balance, his reputation is going to be hurt.

KYLIE MAR: Along with missing games and the potential for Rodgers and the team to suffer penalties for potentially hiding his vac status, Costas thinks Rodgers reputation will suffer. Because when it comes to athletes getting vaccinated, it's not a personal choice.

BOB COSTAS: It's a personal choice whether or not to get a tattoo, it's not a personal choice when it affects other people, not only their health, for obvious reasons. But in the case of athletes on a team, it affects your team and their chance to win.