Last week, Aaron Rodgers suggested on "The Pat McAfee Show" that some NFL personnel circumvented league COVID-19 protocols by using fake vaccination cards. Now, former New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton has publicly supported these claims.

On his "4th & 1" podcast on Monday, August 10th, 2026, Newton discussed the NFL's 2021 COVID-19 protocols, which mandated that all team employees—including players, coaches, and staff—receive COVID-19 vaccinations to avoid frequent testing and restrictions within team facilities. Those unvaccinated were subject to daily testing, mask-wearing, and social distancing during team activities.

Newton stated, "If we're being honest, going back to 2020, there were multiple players, coaches, and executives that fraudulently got their COVID shot. Yes, I said it." He also recalled seeing some vaccination cards that appeared to be handwritten in crayon, suggesting they were fake. "A lot of people had probably fake vax cards back in the day," he added.

The Patriots, Newton's team at the time, issued a statement confirming that Newton attended his vaccination appointment and was away for three days, testing negative for COVID-19 each day.

These allegations come amid ongoing scrutiny of NFL COVID-19 protocols and follow public criticism of vaccine mandates by some players. The discussion also references Anthony Fauci, a leading member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force in 2020 under President Donald Trump, who supported vaccine rollout during President Joe Biden's administration.

Sources