Aaron Rodgers Addresses Ryan Braun Situation

When Aaron Rodgers was accessible to the media today in the Green Bay Packers' locker room, one topic was understandably on every reporter's mind: the Ryan Braun situation. With many members of the media calling for Rodgers to publicly apologize for his support of Braun (an idea that we found rather ludicrous), Rodgers handled the situation with a reasoned, measured approach that has defined much of his career dealing with the media.

Mike Vandermause of the Green Bay Press-Gazette transcribed Rodgers' comments after the Packers opened training camp on Friday. Here are a few key excerpts.

Well, I was shocked, I really was, just like I know many of you were. I was backing up a friend, who looked me in the eye on multiple occasions and repeatedly denied these allegations, said they weren’t true.

I don’t regret backing a friend up. Obviously, in hindsight, a more measured approach next time would obviously be a better course of action. People make mistakes. I definitely believe in forgiveness and moving forward.

I was disappointed by the way it went down. I trusted him, and that’s the thing that probably hurts the most.

There you have it. Rodgers has addressed the situation, discussed his relationship with Braun, and admitted that he should have handled his own reaction better. Furthermore, he did so while refusing to back down from the fact that he was sticking up for his friend. That is exactly what he needed to do. Now we can leave this whole matter to the baseball writers to handle and get on with Packers training camp.

More from Acme Packing Company:

• News and Notes from Mike McCarthy’s Friday Presser
• Packers Training Camp Practice Notebook, July 26: Micah Hyde Impresses Early
• Cheese Curds: Green Bay Packers News and Links for July 26, 2013
• Packers Injury Update: Mike Neal, DuJuan Harris, Others Placed on PUP List
• Why Aaron Rodgers Should Not Apologize for Defending Ryan Braun