Rodgers' vaccine comments may test his clout with sponsors

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers could be playing football again less than two weeks after testing positive for COVID-19 and misleading everyone about being an unvaccinated player.

Whether the off-field consequences of the reigning MVP's science-defying explanation for why he chose not to get the shot have a similarly short shelf life remains uncertain.

Rodgers is one of the NFL’s most visible players. His appearances on State Farm commercials make him a ubiquitous presence even on game telecasts that don’t involve the Packers.

His comments regarding his vaccination status could put that marketability to the test.

“It’s unlikely right now given the volatility of the situation that he's going to have new people coming out and wanting to form a partnership with him, but I think it’s also unlikely that you’re going to have companies split with him,” said Patrick Rishe, the director of the sports business program at Washington University in St. Louis.

State Farm stood by Rodgers earlier this week, saying that it disagrees with some of Rodgers’ statements but respects his right to have his own personal point of view.

The revelation that Rodgers never got vaccinated for COVID-19 came after he tested positive on Nov. 3, causing him to miss the Packers’ 13-7 loss at Kansas City. The earliest he could return to the team is Saturday, which would enable him to play Sunday when the Packers host the Seattle Seahawks.

Assuming he does play Sunday, the reception Rodgers gets from the home crowd could provide some early hints on whether this episode has impacted his popularity at all.

Ashley Dabb, a visiting sports marketing professor at St. Joseph’s University, says the biggest issue is that Rodgers initially was misleading about his vaccination...