Aaron Rodgers Says He Takes 'Full Responsibility' for Anyone 'Misled' by Vaccine Comments

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said on Tuesday that he takes "full responsibility" for anyone that was "misled" by his past COVID-19 vaccine comments.

"I made some comments that people might have felt were misleading and to anyone who felt misled by those comments, I take full responsibility for those comments," Rodgers said during an interview on The Pat McAfee Show podcast.

The comments by Rodgers come a few days after he appeared on the Pat McAfee podcast to discuss he decision to not receive a COVID-19 vaccine. During his previous appearance, Rodgers, who was recently diagnosed as being infected with COVID-19, said that he was allergic to an ingredient in the mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna), leading him to find his own personal treatment plan to combat the virus.

During his previous interview, Rodgers also noted that he wanted to eventually become a father and said, "To my knowledge, there has been zero long-term studies around sterility or fertility issues around the vaccines, so that definitely was something that I was worried about."

Shortly after his interview last week, many criticized Rodgers from numerous people, including popular commentator Stephen A. Smith and famous radio host, Howard Stern.

While appearing on the podcast on Tuesday, Rodgers said that while he knows the criticism exists, he is not "spending time reading things that are out there."

"I understand that this issue in general is very charging to a lot of people because we're talking about public health," Rodgers said. "I made a decision that was in the best interest based on consulting with my doctors, and I understand that not everyone's gonna understand that, necessarily. But I respect everyone's opinion."

Rodgers continued, "Hate isn't going to bring us out of this pandemic, and I'm not gonna hate on anybody who has said things about me. Everybody is entitled to their opinion and I will always believe that."

Rodgers was recently diagnosed with COVID-19 but previously told reporters that he was "immunized." During the interview on Tuesday, Rodgers said, "I misled people about my status which I take full responsibility of."

Under the NFL's COVID-19 policy, after testing positive for the virus, Rodgers was forced to miss 10 days. On this past Sunday, Packers' backup quarterback Jordan Love replaced Rodgers in the team's starting lineup but was unable to secure the victory, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs 13-7.

During the recent interview, Rodgers said that he was feeling better but noted that there is still a "small possibility" that he will be unable to play in the Packers' upcoming game on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.

Newsweek reached out to the Packers for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.

Update 11/9/2021 3:45 p.m. ET: This story has been updated to include more comments from Rodgers.