The winds of November came thrashing.
So goes the Gordon Lightfoot tune about the ill-fated Edmund Fitzgerald, but the good ship Green Bay Packers was tossed about on another whirlwind November Wednesday in this 2021 season.
Aaron Rodgers lands on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.
Immunized can, but doesn’t necessarily equal vaccinated.
Jordan Love was the only quarterback on the practice field.
Blake Bortels got a call while on a Florida golf course and was asked, “if you’re not doing anything this weekend….”
At about 8:30 Wednesday morning, the news broke that Rodgers had tested positive for COVID-19. Head Coach Matt LaFleur said he was aware “before Twitter” and put the bombshell at the top of the agenda for the full team meeting to start the day. Rodgers, considered unvaccinated by the NFL and NFLPA under their negotiated protocols for the pandemic, must now quarantine from team facilities for a mandatory 10 day period. The earliest he can be re-instated will be Saturday, November 13 and that reinstatement can only happen if he has two negative test results over a two day period. Rodgers was asked directly about his vaccination status late in training camp when he told a press conference:
Rodgers apparently underwent homeopathic treatment with his personal physician in Canada over the summer, believing that would be tantamount to receiving either the dual dose or single shot coronavirus vaccination. He reportedly applied to the league, through the player’s association, to be considered vaccinated under the negotiated guidelines negotiated by the NFL and the union. Both bodies turned him down and considered him unvaccinated. His statement on August 26 may have been a way to placate fans and perhaps the media which had been critical of other sports figures who declined the shot for personal or other reasons. Outright lie? Maybe not. Misleading? Quite possibly.
Regardless, the Packers were aware of the quarterback’s unvaccinated status all season. He apparently followed the stricter protocols than vaccinated players needed to by wearing a mask when in team facilities, social distancing at meetings.
But Rodgers was front and center at a players Halloween party at a downtown auto museum last Saturday, mask-less and surrounded by others. Rules prohibit unvaccinated players from just such events and gatherings and it apparently wasn’t the only instance since the season began.
That has raised enough questions for the NFL to release a statement.
Last year, the Baltimore Ravens were fined a quarter million dollars for violating league protocols. The Packers and Rodgers may be writing checks pretty soon.
LaFleur met reporters before Wednesday’s practice and did not want to discuss anyone’s vaccination status. He said “absolutely” when asked if the team followed protocols and confirmed the obvious, Jordan Love will make his NFL starting debut on Sunday in Kansas City.
In fact, Love was the only quarterback on the practice field as practice squad third stringer Kurt Benkert revealed Tuesday that he has tested positive as well.
Down in Ponte Vedra, Florida, veteran quarterback Blake Bortels was on a golf course when his cell phone rang. It was the Packers asking if could head north and help the team for a week, maybe two. Bortels was with the team during the off-season program while Rodgers was debating whether to return to Green Bay or not. When Rodgers showed up just before training camp, the former Jacksonville Jaguar was released. Bortels will initially be signed to the practice squad but will be activated to the 53 man roster before the team departs for Missouri.
After practice, Aaron Jones said he was surprised but not shocked at the Rodgers news. Regardless of vaccination status, Jones who is, still caught COVID earlier this year. The team just dealt with positive tests involving Davante Adams, Allen Lazard and defensive coordinator Joe Barry just last week.
“It’s out there,” Jones said and it’s unfortunate that it now involves Rodgers.
The team presses on and LaFleur believes the team will rally around Love who got nearly all of the snaps during the three week pre-season and even got a taste of regular season play, mopping up in the 38-3 blowout loss to New Orleans on opening day in Jacksonville. Now he’ll be asked to continue the team’s 7 game winning streak against the team that represented the AFC in the last two Super Bowls.
The Packers made it official with Rodgers around 3:00 PM but announcing he’s officially been placed on the team’s Reserve/COVID-19 list and with some company as cornerback Issac Yiadom was also placed on the list.
Lazard came off that list by Monday but Adams and Barry have still not been re-activated. That could come on Thursday according to LaFleur.
All Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari remains on the physically unable to perform list but practiced again today. When asked if he’s going to make his debut against the Chiefs, offensive line coach Adam Stenavich said after practice he still didn’t know. The team wants to make sure Bakhtiari is comfortable enough to play for the first time since last December.
Staying on the offensive line, Stenavich revealed rookie center Josh Myers underwent successful knee surgery this week. He was injured on the opening series of the Packer victory in Chicago two weeks ago with Lucas Patrick stepping in at center since. Stenavich says there’s still some hope Myers will be able to return late this season.
Wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling still has not come off injured reserve either although it’s a strong possibility he’ll be brought back onto the roster this weekend.
The first injury report of the week listed three players who did not participate. All three are on the defensive line. Kingsley Keke (concussion), Dean Lowry (hamstring) and Jack Heflin (illness). Tackle Dennis Kelly (back) was a limited participant while Kevin King (shoulder) and tight end Josiah Deguara (finger) were full participants.
Bortels won’t be the only new arrival to the practice squad as Green Bay signed two new players today, defensive lineman Auzoyah Alufohai and running back Ryquell Armstead were brought on board.
