He should have just owned up to deceiving the press and public about his vax status

He could have said:

1) He’s cautious about what he puts in his body, had concerns about the vaccine and made a personal choice not to take it.
2) He regrets giving a false impression that was vaccinated.
3) He’s sorry for not following the NFL’s protocols for unvaccinated players, missing a game, possibly exposing his team members and causing a distraction.

I think most people would have appreciated him coming clean and forgiven him. He could still have said that he doesn’t regret his decision not to get vaccinated because it was the right decision for him.

But he was too proud to admit error and instead gives tortured explanations for his behavior. The best he can hope for now is that this was the low point of his career and people remember him only for his exploits on the field.