Aaron Rodgers toe injury could be COVID-related, and sounds super gross

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers could have had a case of “COVID Toe”, a condition that causes lesions and discoloring. 

Although Aaron Rodgers has been back in NFL action since Week 10, it’s been continuously reported that he is dealing with a lingering COVID-related issue.

According to the Wall Street Journal, it’s possible for Rodgers to have a toe injury related to COVID effects. The medical term is pernio or chilblains, but Rodgers described it on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday by its colloquial term, “COVID toe.”

The painful condition, which is a part of the body’s immune response to the virus, can cause discoloring and lesions. One doctor even described it as “resembling frostbite.”

A study of 234 people with COVID-19 skin symptoms revealed that most patients experienced symptoms for about two weeks, but several experienced symptoms for much longer. The condition persisted for 60 days for 7 people, and 133 days for one person.

Aaron Rodgers still dealing with a case of “COVID toe”

If Rodgers’ experience is like the majority of these study participants, his symptoms would subside before Week 13.

However, it’s possible that Rodgers could be dealing with this issue for much longer if he experienced an extreme case. If pernio can last 133 days, Rodgers would be dealing with COVID toe throughout the rest of the 2021 season and beyond.

That would be a problem for the Packers, as the condition sidelined Rodgers before halftime in their Week 11 loss to the Vikings. Rodgers described his COVID toe as “very, very painful.” The condition is often described as making it too difficult to wear shoes, and Rodgers will be expected to run the field in cleats until at least January. In Green Bay, cold temperatures could complicate the condition.

Evidently, the best way to avoid COVID toe is to get vaccinated, according to Dr. Esther Freeman.