Critics call State Farm a 'bad neighbor' for sticking by Aaron Rodgers

State Farm so far is sticking with Aaron Rodgers, despite rising public pressure to sever the relationship with the quarterback mired in a COVID-19 vaccine controversy. On Monday, the insurer issued a new statement that appeared to exhibit support of Rodgers, who has long been its spokesman. "Aaron Rodgers has been a great ambassador for our company for much of the past decade. 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," a State Farm spokeswoman said in a statement. "We recognize our customers, employees, agents and brand ambassadors come from all walks of life, with differing viewpoints on many issues. Our mission at State Farm is to support safer, stronger communities. To that end, we encourage vaccinations, but respect everyone’s right to make a choice based on their personal circumstances." Despite State Farm’s stated support, the insurer appears to be pulling back from airing spots featuring Rodgers, including a recent game show-style ad. That Rodgers ad aired only three times on Sunday; in comparison, a State Farm spot featuring spokesman Patrick Mahomes, whose Kansas City Chiefs were playing the Packers (without Rodgers), ran 33 times Sunday, according to iSpot tracking data. When asked Friday about the state of the insurer's relationship with Rodgers, State Farm had said it would be focusing on ads featuring Terry Bradshaw over the weekend. Even as he was appearing in a State Farm ad, Bradshaw was ripping Rodgers during Fox's NFL coverage. The discussion on FOX about the Rodgers situationJimmy: "I'm disappointed in his selfish actions."Howie: "Possibly putting your teammates in jeopardy is selfish."Terry: "Let me give Rodgers some advice, it be nice if he came to the Navel academy and learn how to be honest." pic.twitter.com/O9rT6kDNXm— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) November 7, 2021 The insurance company's backing of Rodgers comes following a weekend in which many called on State Farm to sever its relationship with him. Last week, the Green Bay Packers star came under fire when he tested positive for COVID-19 and admitted he was not vaccinated, despite ambiguous statements that seemed to indicate the contrary. The controversy around Rodgers culminated with a Friday appearance on “The Pat McAffee Show,” in which the NFL star complained about the “woke mob” and admitted to taking the horse drug ivermectin. Critics were not pleased. Hey, is @StateFarm cool with Aaron Rodgers lying about being Covid vaccinated?— Ty Webb 🇺🇸 (@Ty___Webb) November 6, 2021 So @StateFarm can choose to continue to do business with @AaronRodgers12 and you can choose to do business with another insurance company. One that cares about public health, ethics and integrity. YOUR CHOICE. https://t.co/AxzzXPqqeg— Lisa Guerrero 💃🏽 (@4lisaguerrero) November 8, 2021 Has @Statefarm pulled their ads with @AaronRodgers12? They need to sever their relationship. We’re supposed to be able to trust our insurance company.— Claude Taylor (@TrueFactsStated) November 7, 2021 And many were outraged at State Farm’s support on Monday. “Just read your statement supporting lying Covidiot Rodgers. I will be searching for new auto and home insurance,” wrote Clay Kirkland on Facebook. Robert C. Chandler alluded to State Farm’s long-running “Good Neighbor” tagline when he wrote on Facebook, “#BoycottBadNeighbor Supporting anti-vax public health endangering liar? Shame on you State Farm. Profits over people perhaps?" Prevea Health, which has counted Rodgers as a spokesman since 2012, released a statement Saturday announcing that their relationship has ended. “Prevea Health remains deeply committed to protecting its patients, staff, providers and communities amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes encouraging and helping all eligible populations to become vaccinated against COVID019 to prevent the virus from further significantly impacting lives and livelihoods,” read the statement. Register for Ad Age Next: CMO at AdAge.com/NextCMO.

Critics call State Farm a 'bad neighbor' for sticking by Aaron Rodgers

Featured Stories