Aaron Rodgers Wants Apology From WSJ For 'COVID Toe' Coverage

Aaron Rodgers has demanded a "full apology" from the Wall Street Journal for reporting that he has COVID toe.

On Wednesday, the Green Bay Packers quarterback, 37, set the record straight about his recent toe injury, telling reporters that he fractured his pinky toe while working out at home during his quarantine, ESPN reported.

Rodgers then called out the Wall Street Journal for publishing a story that referred to his toe injury as a medical condition caused by his recent COVID-19 diagnosis.

The outlet's report, titled "Aaron Rodgers Doesn't Just Have Any Toe Injury. He Has COVID Toe," cited remarks Rodgers made during a Tuesday appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" in which he joked with the host and said that he "didn’t have any lingering effects other than COVID toe."

However, the NFL star said during his Zoom press conference, "That's actually called disinformation when you perpetuate false information about an individual. I have a fractured toe."

Rodgers said he expected an apology from the newspaper but added that he did "get a kick out of reading that article." He also said that he had never heard of COVID toe before.

"Pat made a joke about it on the show, and I mentioned yesterday that it's worse than a turf toe and it must be a bone issue," he said, according to ESPN.

COVID toe is a condition that affects some people who test positive for the coronavirus and can cause skin lesions on their toes, according to WebMD. Experts said the condition may last anywhere between 10 days to several months.

To prove that he didn't have COVID toe, the football player took off his shoe and showed his bare left foot in front of the camera during his news conference.

"I'm glad you asked just so I could show you the lesions of my foot here, so if I have enough room on this camera, let me see if I can," Rodgers said, before quipping, "Oh, there's no lesions whatsoever. Oh, what a surprise."

The Wall Street Journal updated its piece Wednesday, noting that Rodgers contested the story. The outlet did not offer a "full apology."

Rodgers later changed his Twitter profile picture to an image of his bare toes.

Earlier this month, Rodgers landed in hot water when he was diagnosed with COVID-19 after claiming that he was "immunized" against the virus.

On Nov. 5, he confirmed that he had not been vaccinated, claiming that he is allergic to an ingredient in the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines.

After his comments sparked backlash, Rodgers later said on "The Pat McAfee Show" that he stands by his remarks and "the reasons why I made the decision."

Following his latest press conference, some Twitter users continued to express disappointment over Rodgers' recent comments about COVID-19 vaccines.

"Where is Rodgers' apology for lying to everyone he was vaccinated? Rodgers has a LOOOOONG way to go to recapture his 'good guy' persona," one person wrote.

Another Twitter user, however, commented on a screenshot of the athlete showing his foot, "This is gold. I hate to say it, but I'm starting to love Rodgers' ['I don't give a f--k'] attitude."