Minnesota Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr made it clear that he had no intention of injuring Green Bay Packers star Aaron Rodgers during Sunday's contest.
Barr drove Rodgers into the ground, and the two-time MVP suffered a broken collarbone on the play. Rodgers appeared nonplussed by Barr's on-field contrition.
"By no means was I trying to injure or take out Aaron Rodgers," Barr said Friday to ESPN's Courtney Cronin. "He's one of, if not, the best player in this league. I'm not a dirty player. I don't play dirty. We don't preach that around here.
"It's unfortunate, the injury. I hate to see anybody get hurt. It's a gift and a privilege to be able to play on the field each week, so I would never try and take that away from anybody, let alone one of the best players in our game."
Barr wasn't fined for the hit on Rodgers but drew a $9,115 penalty for a separate one on Packers wide receiver Davante Adams.
The Vikings' linebacker clarified that he has little time to react on the field and was merely trying to stop Rodgers from escaping the pocket.
"I think I hit Jameis [Winston] similar earlier in the season and nobody mentioned it," Barr said. "It's a dirty play in some people's eyes because of the injury. I think if he gets up, we're not having this conversation. I wish him a speedy recovery. [He's] one of my favorite players to compete against, play against.
"You're running so fast, I'm just trying to make a play. I'm not trying to injure the guy by any means."
Minnesota emerged with a 23-10 win over Green Bay.
