‘I don’t know what else the NFL can do’: Defending the league amid Tua Tagovailoa concussion controversy, Aaron Rodgers insists players need to self-control: ‘Be smart…we need to be about our long-term health think.”
- In London, Rodgers said there wasn’t much more the league could do about concussions after Tagovailoa may have suffered two in four days
- The Packers are the last NFL team to play a game in London and Rodgers will make the trip worthwhile – attending tonight’s USA-England game at Wembley
- He spoke about his love of ‘football’ and a time when he met Steven Gerrard
- Click here for all your latest international sports news from
Aaron Rodgers showed his charm while showing his wry humor and support for Manchester City when he faced British media for the first time.
And the 38-year-old Green Bay Packers quarterback, a four-time MVP, also said he’s pleased with the level of protection the NFL provides against concussions – but urged players to self-police.
“I think it’s enough,” he said when asked about the level of protection the NFL offers players. “I just think we need to monitor ourselves too and be smart about it. The players want to be out there. But we have to think about our long-term health.
“I think we all know the difference between being shaken and having a concussion. There is definitely a difference. I’ve had a few on the field and there’s a difference between getting nailed and going to the sidelines, maybe your jaw or neck hurts a bit and you actually have a concussion.
When the Green Bay Packers played London for the first time, Aaron Rodgers spoke to the British press about concussions, met Steven Gerrard and the USWNT at Wembley
“I don’t know what else the NFL can do. I don’t always defend the NFL with every decision they make. Every topic should be up for discussion. When it comes down to it, there are independent folks on the sidelines looking out for those hits. I think you have to keep a closer eye on these special pieces.
“Obviously you looked back at the game with Tua – you go back to last week – you saw him kind of stumble after a goal. I think we all know what was going on there.
“For Tua, I understand the predicament. You want to be out there and keep playing, but we all need to think about our long-term health because we know the effects of CTE are well documented and there’s research on it. I don’t know what else the league can do. We try to pull guys off the field. As I said, there are several people who are looking for specific head injuries. We must monitor ourselves.”
In a wide-ranging press conference, the Green Bay Packers quarterback revealed that he was blown away during a chance meeting with Steven Gerrard at a Beverly Hills clothing store.
Rodgers spoke at length about his love of football and support for Manchester City
After landing this morning, he revealed a chance encounter with Steven Gerrard in LA
“I had a chance encounter with Steven Gerrard when he was playing for the Galaxy. It was one of those rare times in life that I was star struck, and we were like a Beverly Hills shop. I got an outfit for the ESPYs or something and was just stunned.
“I was like, ‘Oh my god.’ I looked around and nobody knows who he is. I think it must have been nice for him to be across the States and have some anonymity because of the fame he has for his career over here.
And Rodgers will also be cheering for the USWNT as they take on the Lionesses at Wembley tonight, despite Green Bay landing earlier today.
“Tonight I’m watching the US national team! Obviously the lionesses are the Eurochamps. So it’s a friendly game, it’s a competition. Yes, I want to get out into the city a bit. We obviously came later in the week. So I’m not sure if I’ll see Manchester City tomorrow.
Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers go into Sunday’s game against the Giants 3-1
Rodgers has backed City after watching Amazon’s All or Nothing about the 2017-18 season and spoke about meeting Pep Guardiola and others when Manchester City played Bayern Munich at Lambeau Field in July.
“I went into the dressing room and met De Bruyne. We swapped a few jerseys together. They have an interesting coaching staff, lots of Spaniards on that staff who were damn funny. Pep was great. It was fun to have something like that at Lambeau. We’ve had some interesting concerts over the years. We don’t get many big acts through our tiny town so it was really cool for all of us to see Bayern Munich and Manchester City play there.
Two teams with winning records play in England for the first time, with the 3-1 Packers receiving a nominal 3-1 win from the New York Giants on Sunday.
The Packers were the last NFL team not to play a regular season game across the pond
Due to the NFL’s expansion to 17 regular-season games, Green Bay gave up a home game to play at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and is the 32nd and final team to play a regular season in England.
“We’re too big a draw in the States. With 17 games, we’re finally coming by,” Rodgers said.
“I’ve always dreamed of seeing a big concert or football match at Wembley so I’ll be there tonight. But the games have always been great – this is the first game between teams with a track record, I think, in London. It is about time we were here.”