Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images
The Packers QB told Pat McAfee he has ‘Covid Toe,’ but we can’t totally trust him.
Aaron Rodgers headed to the locker room just before halftime during the Green Bay Packers’ game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday in Week 11. Rodgers reportedly received treatment for a toe injury that had been bothering him, and then took the field in the second half. The Vikings won the game, 34-31, but Rodgers looked phenomenal, finishing the afternoon with 385 yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions.
Rodgers talked about his toe injury during his weekly appearance on the Pat McAfee Show the following Tuesday. He only seemed to cause more confusion with his comments, which is the Aaron Rodgers specialty when it comes to medical information at this point.
When asked about his recovering from a positive Covid test earlier this month, Rodgers responded: “No lingering effects, other than the Covid Toe.” You can watch the clip here:
How’s the toe Aaron??
“It’s worse than turf toe & it’s definitely not going away.. I’ve already talked enough about my medical status on this show” ~@AaronRodgers12#PatMcAfeeShowLIVE pic.twitter.com/GSt30ttahR
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 23, 2021
Rodgers offered two other quotes that shed light on his status during the interview:
“I believe that I mentioned that it was more painful than turf toe – and I had turf toe two years ago,” Rodgers said. “Naturally I’m leading people to understand that if it’s worse than turf toe it must have some kind of bone issue.”
“I’ve given you enough information at this point – I have a toe injury that’s not going away and I’m going to be dealing with it for at least the next few weeks.”
He said it’s his pinky toe that’s bothering him.
There’s a lot to parse out here, and it’s hard to know what’s real and what’s made up. That’s always the case for someone who takes his medical advice from Dr. Joe Rogan, as he’s stated previously. Let’s dive into it.
Yes, ‘Covid toe’ is a real thing
There’s even a WebMD page for it.
The symptoms for Covid Toe are discoloration, swelling, and a lot of pain. It can show up 1-4 weeks after a positive Covid diagnosis, which would match Rodgers’ own timeline.
“The way I would think about it is it’s basically a side effect of how your own immune system is fighting the virus,” said Esther Freeman, a doctor and principal investigator for the Covid-19 Dermatology Registry, told the Wall Street Journal.
‘Covid Toe’ can be exasperated by cold weather, which isn’t great news for someone like Rodgers who plays football outdoors in Wisconsin in the winter. It will usually go away after 2-6 weeks, according to WebMD.
Does Aaron Rodgers actually have Covid Toe?
This one is tougher to answer.
‘Covid Toe’ is supposed to be a skin condition. Rodgers inferred that he has a bone issue, but of course he stated it in the weirdest way possible — “Naturally I’m leading people to understand that if it’s worse than turf toe it must have some kind of bone issue” — instead of just saying it like a normal person. It’s possible Rodgers has another case of turf toe, despite saying that the pain he’s feeling now is worse than what he experienced when he had turf toe a few years ago. It might just be a different toe injury.
It’s a bone injury to a pinky toe. We solved the nation-wide mystery https://t.co/9ZHKNinxmn
— Justis Mosqueda (NFL Owner) (@JuMosq) November 23, 2021
Rodgers seems confused on a lot of things when it comes to the best ways to treat Covid — here’s some advice: start with taking one of the safe and effective vaccines, Aaron — and it’s possible this is another example.
The Packers play at the Los Angeles Rams this week, and then have their bye week. After that is a Sunday night game in Chicago against the Bears, which will almost certainly be very chilly. Not that that’s ever stopped Rodgers from dismantling the Bears before.
Rodgers may be hobbled by his toe injury this week against LA and moving forward. We just can’t be sure if it’s ‘Covid Toe’ or not.
