NBC Sports broadcaster Cris Collinsworth praised Aaron Rodgers for his “honesty” during the Packers-Bears game on Sunday.
“He doesn’t care. Have you seen a guy, and in particular this year, be more honest about everything?” Collinsworth said on the broadcast, alongside play-by-play man Al Michaels.
“You may not agree with everything he says, but we have heard from the beginning of this entire season exactly what he thinks about everything.”
With one notable exception.
Rodgers faced backlash last month after he tested positive for COVID-19, and said during his weekly appearance “The Pat McAfee Show” that he is unvaccinated. This came three months after he told reporters during a press conference that he is “immunized” when asked about his vaccination status.
At the same time, before he tested positive for the virus, Rodgers attended multiple press conferences without a mask — as well as a Packers Halloween party, where he posed for photos with teammates while unmasked. Rodgers and Green Bay were both fined by the NFL after review.
Rodgers later addressed accusations that he led the public to believe he is vaccinated, and claimed he is allergic to an ingredient in the mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna). He said he did not want to receive the Johnson & Johnson shot due to reported side effects.
“My desire to immunize myself was what was best for my body and that’s why this is so important to me… I made a decision that was in my best interest for my body. I’m not telling somebody to not get vaccinated or to get vaccinated,” Rodgers said last month, adding that he believes “strongly in bodily autonomy and the ability to make choices for your body.”
Collinsworth, 62, did not go into detail about what exactly Rodgers has been truthful about. Some viewers took to Twitter to criticize his comments.
“I rolled my eyes so hard listening to Cris Collinsworth say Aaron Rodgers is honest, I detached my retina,” one fan tweeted.
Another fan added, “Cris Collinsworth can’t stop praising Matt Nagy and Aaron Rodgers. I have muted the tv.”
Collinsworth has yet to address the topic, but this isn’t the first time he’s come under fire for his comments in the booth.
Last October, Collinsworth and Michaels faced backlash after they poked fun at a health mandate that required them to wear masks on the broadcast during an Eagles-49ers game on “Sunday Night Football.”
Later that season, Collinsworth publicly apologized on Twitter after he was criticized for a comment that he was “impressed” by female fans’ knowledge of the NFL.
Rodgers had four touchdown passes in the win, beating the Bears for the sixth straight time.
The 38-year-old, Rodgers said his fractured pinky toe “feels worse,” after he said last week that in-season surgery is still an option for treatment.
The Packers visit the Ravens on Sunday.
