The Shady Side Of Aaron Rodgers

Multimillionaire NFL player Aaron Rodgers could have gone down in the history books solely as one of the greatest footballers of his generation. The quarterback, who spent 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers before moving to the New York Jets in 2023, became only the fifth player ever to consecutively win the NFL MVP, the first to achieve a career passer rating of more than 100, and still holds the regular season touchdown-to-interception ratio record.

But in recent years, Rodgers appears to have made it his mission to become just as renowned for his belief in unfounded conspiracy theories as his prowess on the football field. From the September 11 attacks and COVID-19 pandemic to the Sandy Hook massacre and death of John F. Kennedy Jr., Rodgers has made controversial remarks about several major tragedies. And his shady behavior isn't just restricted to spreading misinformation about world events, either. Here's a look at 14 times Rodgers damaged his reputation.

In August 2021, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Aaron Rodgers told the media he was immunized against the condition. Understandably, this was interpreted as a confirmation he had received the vaccine. But a year later, the quarterback admitted he had deliberately been misleading with his choice of words.

While appearing on the podcast "The Joe Rogan Experience," Rodgers said he had prepared himself for any questions about the vaccination from the press. "I thought there's a possibility that I say, 'I'm immunized,' maybe they understand what that means, maybe they don't. Maybe, they follow up. They didn't follow up. So, then I go the season them thinking — some of them — that I was vaccinated."

Rodgers' sneaky tactics worked when the press failed to prod him any further on the matter, instead asking the footballer what he thought of his unvaccinated teammates. Of course, this approach backfired several months later when he contracted COVID-19. "Because now I'm a liar, I'm endangering the community, my teammates, all these people," he told his equally controversial friend. "And the attempted takedown of me and my word and my integrity began."

Shortly before news broke he had tested positive for COVID-19, Aaron Rodgers made one of his regular trips to "The Pat McAfee Show" to moan about the treatment to which unvaccinated players were subjected. In fact, the quarterback described (via People) the NFL's protocols as "Draconian measures" that, in his opinion, "were not based on science."

So what exactly was he complaining about? Well, Rodgers and his fellow anti-vaxxers had to take a COVID-19 test every day and were only allowed into their camp once the results were confirmed as negative. They also had to physically distance themselves from their vaccinated teammates, wear a mask at all times, and sport a yellow wristband to signify their status.

In another interview with McAfee shortly after contracting the virus, Rodgers continued to blast both football authorities and society in general for their handling of the situation: "I'm not some sort of anti-vax, flat-earther. I believe strongly in bodily autonomy and the ability to make choices for your body, not to have to acquiesce to some sort of woke culture or crazed individuals who say you have to do something."

It seems unlikely that Aaron Rodgers will be invited to Jimmy Kimmel's late-night talk show any time soon. The pair have been engaged in an increasingly bitter war of words, with the footballer's deliberately misleading comments on his vaccination status appearing to be the catalyst. And then, in 2024, things intensified when the New York Jets star suggested the comedian had been an acquaintance of Jeffrey Epstein.

"A lot of people, including Jimmy Kimmel, are really hoping that doesn't come out," Rodgers said during an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" (via Rolling Stone), referring to the soon-to-be-released court documents listing the convicted sex offender's list of associates. The chat show host soon fired back, tweeting, "I've not met, flown with, visited, or had any contact whatsoever with Epstein, nor will you find my name on any 'list' other than the clearly-phony nonsense that soft-brained wackos like yourself can't seem to distinguish from reality."

Kimmel also threatened to sue Rodgers if he continued to make such allegations, a development which appeared to contain the quarterback.

Apparently, COVID-19 isn't the only worldwide pandemic that Aaron Rodgers is extremely skeptical of. During a 2024 appearance on the podcast "Look Into It," the quarterback argued the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 1980s had been specifically engineered by man. And he blamed one individual, in particular, for its devastating effects: one-time National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Anthony Fauci.

"The blueprint, the game plan, was made in the '80s," Rodgers theorized (via Yahoo! Entertainment), referring to how he believed the government had dealt with the coronavirus. "Create a pandemic with a virus that's going wild. Fauci was given over $350 million to research this, to come up with drugs — new or repurposed — to handle the AIDS pandemic. And all they came up with was AZT." Although acknowledging he wasn't a doctor or immunologist himself, the footballer appeared to claim he knew more than anyone else in the medical profession.

"But that was the game plan back then: create an environment where only one thing works. Back then, AZT. Now? Remdesivir," Rodgers added. Unsurprisingly, the star faced a severe backlash for his remarks, which, incidentally, he failed to back up with any kind of evidence, with many social media users arguing Fauci should sue for having his name brought into disrepute. But as of yet, the scientist has wisely decided against even issuing a response.

Aaron Rodgers' reputation for spouting unhinged conspiracy theories reached new lows in 2024 when it was alleged he had repeatedly described the Sandy Hook massacre — the elementary school shootings in which 20 children and six adults lost their lives — as an inside job.

CNN journalist Pamela Brown told CNN that while reporting on the Kentucky Derby 11 years previously, she was confronted by Rodgers about certain stories being covered up by the news media. This included the Sandy Hook tragedy, with the quarterback claiming it had been orchestrated by the government. When asked what evidence he had, the footballer brought up several theories that have officially been disproved.

CNN claims that Rodgers allegedly also told another unnamed individual, "Sandy Hook never happened ... All those children never existed. They were all actors." Once these comments came to light, the sportsman took to X (formerly Twitter) to deny he'd ever disputed the reality of the horrific incident, offering what else but "thoughts and prayers" to those affected.

Aaron Rodgers added yet another chapter to his book of wild conspiracy theories in 2024 when he suggested the Martha's Vineyard plane crash, which killed John F. Kennedy Jr. (along with his wife and sister-in-law), may have been linked to his political rival Hillary Clinton.

The New York Jets star was speaking on the "I Can Fly" podcast about another member of America's most famous dynasty, Robert F. Kennedy, and his bid to run for the presidential election as an independent candidate when he once again adopted tin foil hat mode (via NBC Sports): "So Bobby loses his uncle, JFK, his father, RFK. His cousin [JFK Jr.] dies in a plane crash when he was running against Hillary Clinton. I'm not saying that's a conspiracy, but it's kind of a weird coincidence. Bobby's in danger. He's putting himself on the line. Why? Because he f***ing believes in this country."

Rodgers, who was said to be in the frame for Robert's running mate before the role was given to Nicole Shanahan, didn't exactly have his facts straight, however. Although he had a meeting about the possibility of challenging Clinton for the Senate, JFK Jr. ultimately decided against it, acknowledging he wasn't quite ready for the position at the time.

In 2016, Aaron Rodgers' brother Jordan appeared on the reality TV show "The Bachelorette." But if any Green Bay Packers fans were hoping for an insight into the life and times of their star quarterback, then they were out of luck. The middle sibling revealed that the footballer hadn't been in touch with his family for two years. And that estrangement has now extended to a full decade.

Both parties have kept quiet about the specific root cause. But father Ed said, "fame can change things" during a chat with The New York Times a year later (via Us Weekly), while Aaron's then-girlfriend Olivia Munn hinted on Andy Cohen's Sirius XM show "Radio Andy" that the rest of the Rodgers may have been trying to capitalize on his success.

The plot thickened in 2018 when Aaron donated $1 million to those affected by the California wildfires. Jordan responded to the news by tweeting (via Us Weekly), "When your own Mom is home alone during the fires, car packed ready to evacuate, and you miss the fundamental first step of compassion; calling your parents to make sure they are safe ... Everything else just feels like an act." Although, there have been tentative attempts at reconciliations since Aaron was notably absent from Jordan's wedding in 2022.

Rodgers has not publicly commented on the "9/11 was an inside job" theory. But that doesn't mean he isn't a believer. Behind closed doors, according to former teammate DeShone Kizer, anyway, the validity of the terror attacks is never far from the quarterback's mind.

While appearing on "The Breneman Show" podcast in 2022, Kizer claimed (via Sports Illustrated) that during his first-ever quarterbacks meeting with the Green Bay Packers four years earlier, he was immediately challenged about the subject: "The first thing that comes out of Aaron Rodgers' mouth was, 'You believe in 9/11?' 'What? Do I believe in 9/11? Yeah, why wouldn't I?'"

Rodgers then allegedly told Kizer he should read up on all the theories surrounding the tragedy and get back to him in a conversation described as a "real thought experiment." The latter did just that and subsequently enjoyed several further discussions about the matter. While Kizer didn't confirm whether Rodgers had persuaded him to accept any alternative 9/11 explanations, he did admit he's now skeptical of everything from the moon landings to the Earth's core.

In 2023, Aaron Rodgers was accused of cheating in a sporting capacity. Luckily for him, the allegations were centered not on his all-important career in the NFL but on the amateur section of the golfing tournament known as the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

While being interviewed on the podcast "Pardon My Take," Josh Allen, a quarterback for the Buffalo Bills, claimed Rodgers had lied about his golfing handicap: "He may have gotten seven or eight strokes too many at Pebble Beach, or nine. Not from me — That's from what other sources are saying, I'm not saying that."

According to Golf Digest, Rodgers, who helped the New York Jets win the whole thing, normally has a handicap of three compared to the ten he was listed at during the Pro-Am. But proving he wasn't taking the alleged skullduggery too seriously, Allen jokingly agreed with the hosts that Rodgers should now be behind bars: "I would say a lot of the golfers maybe thought that too."

"Be more Putin" isn't the kind of advice you'd expect to hear dished out toward the POTUS, and certainly not from one of the country's most famous footballers. But that's essentially the kind of political guidance Aaron Rodgers gave to Joe Biden during a controversial interview on "The Tucker Carlson Show."

When talk turned to the equally shady former Fox News host's lightweight chat with the Russian President, Rodgers leaped to both parties' defense. "I'd love to see Joe Biden give an interview where he can speak on the history of the United States in the same way that Putin talked about the history of his country," he said (via Newsweek), going on to hail him as an "interesting, thoughtful, smart individual."

Rodgers seemed just as awestruck by Carlson's interview techniques, describing the political encounter as "f***ing awesome" before unleashing his full-on conspiracy theorist head again in response to Putin's critics: "And if you've read "1984," the base game plan of government control, you have to have an enemy, and you have to slander that enemy regardless if you know anything about them."

Aaron Rodgers risked incurring the wrath of his own team's fan base in 2024 when he suggested the New York Jets should be rechristened the New Jersey Jets. The quarterback made the mischievous comment while appearing on "Pardon My Take," an aptly named podcast considering the backlash that followed.

Rodgers' argument was that with the Jets training at Florham Park and playing their home games at East Rutherford's Metlife Stadium, they had far more in common with the Garden State than the Big Apple. "Nobody [on the team] lives in New York," the quarterback, who has a $9.5 million home in Cedar Grove, went on to add (via Mirror).

And the four-time NFL MVP didn't stop there, either. Referring to the city's baseball team, he said, "If you are a Giant you can [live in New York], but I don't know why you would just because of the traffic into the tunnel. I joke about, I know the stadium used to be on Long Island, but we are the New Jersey Jets. So are the Giants." As you'd expect, plenty of Jets fans took to social media to voice their displeasure at Rodgers' comments, with many claiming the metropolitan area is more significant than the state and others simply arguing New Jersey just doesn't sound as good as New York.

In 2024, Aaron Rodgers was heavily criticized for choosing a vacation in Egypt over what was supposed to be a mandatory practice session with the New York Jets. But as all the drama surrounding his various conspiracies has proven, the quarterback is not one for backing down.

Instead of apologizing for shunning his team, Rodgers decided to troll his critics by rocking up to training camp in a gray T-shirt emblazoned with a picture of a cat. We're not talking about any regular feline, either. No, it was, of course, of the Egyptian variety. And with the footballer beaming from ear to ear on his arrival, it seems he was pretty proud of the stunt, too.

The day before, Rodgers had brushed off all the negativity he'd received, telling the "Pardon My Take" podcast (via ESPN), "They can arbitrarily put a tag on whatever week of OTAs [Organized Team Activities] they want and say, 'This is the minicamp week,' which makes it somehow more mandatory than the other weeks, but it was an OTA schedule." The star went on to point out he'd only missed two OTA days, having attended the previous ten.

Don't expect Aaron Rodgers to be invited to lovebirds Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce for dinner in the near future. For the New York Jets quarterback certainly doesn't appear to be a fan of the latter judging by the derogatory nickname he gave him in 2023.

While appearing on "The Pat McAfee Show," Rodgers took a swipe at Kelce for helping to promote Pfizer, the pharmaceutical company renowned for its COVID-19 vaccination. Referring to the recent game between his own team and the Kansas City Chiefs, the footballer said (via CNN), "Pat [Mahomes] didn't have a crazy game, and 'Mr. Pfizer,' we shut him down. He didn't have a crazy impact game."

When pressed about how he described Kelce, Rodgers explained, "He's doing commercials for Pfizer, so I'm sure he's owning it." The four-time NFL MVP, of course, is at the polar opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to vaccinations, having failed to get immunized himself while spreading all kinds of conspiracy theories about their side effects.

Aaron Rodgers didn't exactly endear himself to Chicago Bears fans when their team took on the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field in 2021. Following a six-yard touchdown run which helped guide his franchise to victory, the quarterback ran toward some opposing hecklers in the stands and shouted, "I've owned you all my f***ing life! I own you! I still own you!"

A public display of arrogance it may have been, but Rodgers did have the stats to back up such a claim. After establishing himself in the Packers' starting line-up in 2008, the star recorded an impressive .821 winning percentage against the Bears. Only two other quarterbacks with no fewer than 25 starts since 1950 have achieved more impressive numbers, Ben Roethlisberger against the Cleveland Browns and Tom Brady against the Buffalo Bills.

"It's been a great rivalry," Rodgers told Forbes, referring to the Packers and Bears before further sticking the knife in. "I'm proud to be a part of it. We have gotten the better of them the last, I don't know, 27, 28 times we've played them for the most part. At some point, what I said will be used against me, that's just part of it. But I have no regrets for saying what I said, and obviously I think the record kind of speaks for itself."