State Farm backs Aaron Rodgers despite vaccine controversy

Like a good neighbor, State Farm is… backing Aaron Rodgers.

The insurance company is standing by the Green Bay Packers quarterback after Rodgers found himself in controversy over comments he made recently about the vaccine. On Friday, Rodgers, who is on the NFL’s COVID-19 reserve list, defended his decision to not get the vaccine â€" decrying the “woke mob” during an appearance on the “Pat McAfee Show.”

Rodgers’ comments caused a health care provider in Wisconsin to end its relationship with the quarterback. The quarterback was also criticized for spreading misinformation, with medical experts debunking several of Rodgers’ claims (such as the vaccine causes infertility). 

But State Farm, which sponsors Rodgers, said it respects Rodgers’ views.

“Aaron Rodgers has been a great ambassador for our company for much of the past decade,” a State Farm spokeswoman told USA TODAY Sports in a statement. 

“We don’t support some of the statements that he has made, but we respect his right to have his own personal point of view. We recognize our customers, employees, agents and brand ambassadors come from all walks of life, with differing viewpoints on many issues. Our mission at State Farm is to support safer, stronger communities. To that end, we encourage vaccinations, but respect everyone’s right to make a choice based on their personal circumstances.”

According to Apex Marketing Group, however, State Farm used commercials featuring Rodgers only 1.5% of the time Sunday â€" down from the 25% that it aired the past two Sundays. 

Previous Two Sundays: 25% of State Farm ads had Aaron Rodgers in it

Today: Only 1.5% of State Farm ads had Aaron Rodgers in it, according to tracking company @ApexMarketing.

Behind the scenes State Farm appears to be pulling back on the QBhttps://t.co/WC3gab2rYj

â€" Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) November 8, 2021

Rodgers missed Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs after testing positive for the virus. In August, Rodgers told reporters: “Yeah, I’m immunized” when asked if he was vaccinated. 

In his interview with McAfee, a former NFL punter, Rodgers accused the media of conducting a “witch hunt” over a person’s vaccination status.

“I believe strongly in bodily autonomy and the ability to make choices for your body, not to have to acquiesce to some woke culture or crazed group of individuals who say you have to do something,” Rodgers said. “Health is not a one-size-fits-all for everybody. And for me, it involved a lot of study in the offseason. … I put a lot of time and energy researching this and met with a lot of people to get the most information about the vaccines before I made my decision.”

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