Though State Farm Insurance appeared to have distanced itself from Aaron Rodgers, the face of its marketing campaign, the company has shifted to back the NFL quarterback, according to a USA Today report.
After testing positive for COVID, Rodgers appeared on the Pat McAfee show, speaking extensively about his views on the vaccine and justifying his support for those who oppose the mandate.
Since the drama began, Rodgers’s appearances on State Farm commercials dropped to only 25%, reaching a new low of 1.5% this last Sunday—numbers that suggested the insurance giant had decided to distance itself from him.
But now State Farm—which claims to be committed to the support of “safer, stronger communities”—is trying to make amends.
According to a company spokesperson, Rodgers’s relationship with the mega-corporation remains intact.
“Aaron Rodgers has been a great ambassador for our company for much of the past decade,” the spokesperson said before qualifying her statement by suggesting that State Farm does not support his views on the vaccine.
“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,” she said. “We recognize our customers, employees, agents and brand ambassadors come from all walks of life, with differing viewpoints on many issues.”
She later clarified that vaccination is essential for Americans, yet supported each individual’s right to choose.
“Our mission at State Farm is to support safer, stronger communities,” she said. “To that end, we encourage vaccinations, but respect everyone’s right to make a choice based on their personal circumstances.”
This statement aligns with Rodgers’s claims on the McAfee show, where he argued for individual autonomy, especially in respect to physical health.
“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.”
