In an attempt to settle discussions revolving around his vaccination status, the National Football League’s reigning MVP brought more heat to those conversations, and his image, having lost an endorsement with a Wisconsin health care company in the process.

On the latest episode of CBC Sports video series Bring It In, host Morgan Campbell is joined by panellists Meghan McPeak and Dave Zirin to discuss the star quarterback’s rationale for abstaining from vaccination, including his application of a quote from the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Touching on Rodgers’ quoting of Dr. King Jr. to aid his explanation, Zirin felt as though it was an act that exhibited a lack of education on the subject. In addition, Zirin says, Rodgers simply doesn’t like being criticized.

“The people who talk about woke mobs, and trying to force me to get a vaccine, and what about my bodily autonomy — they always seem to end on quoting Dr. Martin Luther King [Jr.] … to use Dr. King [Jr.] as a way to troll, is so, not just educationally bankrupt, but there’s a moral bankruptcy to doing something like that,” Zirin said.

“Let’s be clear about something — once we get rid of all the blather, all the woke mob stuff, all the cliches, all the quoting Dr. King out of context, all you really have is a guy who lied … and he can’t stand being criticized, he can’t stand being called out for lying and he’s covering it up with all kinds of self-righteous, self-indulgent blather.”

WATCH | Bring It In panel discusses Aaron Rodgers’ explanation for vaccination status:

Reacting to Aaron Rodgers’ stance on Covid-19 vaccines, Pat McAfee interview | Bring It In

The ‘Bring It In’ panel give their take on the news of Aaron Rodgers’ positive Covid case, after he claimed he was ‘immunized’ against Covid-19, and the comments he made on his recent appearance on the Pat McAfee Show. Host Morgan Campbell is joined by Dave Zirin and Meghan McPeak to break it all down. 10:29

In Campbell’s point of view, based on his method of explanation, Rodgers attempted to outsmart the public.

“He really believes he’s some type of freedom fighter,” Campbell said. “The thing that came through about Aaron Rodgers in this rant that he had on the Pat McAfee Show explaining his immunization status, is he really does think he is smarter than the rest of us.

“Two things: one, if Aaron Rodgers’ choice to not get vaccinated is really about the fact that he is allergic to the vaccine, then he could just say that…. But he went out of his way to mislead people because, ‘Yeah, I’m immunized’ is the exact opposite of ‘No, I’m immunized and not vaccinated’ and he knew this.”

McPeak on the other hand, couldn’t understand why Rodgers felt the need to go through all this.

“Why do you need to go through this whole rigmarole and try to outsmart everyone and try to wordplay with everybody, when you’re trying to just tell us that you’re allergic to the vaccine?” McPeak questioned. “If that’s the case, just say it. Being allergic to the vaccine doesn’t make you weak.”