The prince of darkness. The owner of the Chicago Bears. King of the douchebags. These are some of the many names that one could call Aaron Rodgers. Though recognized as one of the greatest and arguably the most talented quarterback of all time, the former longtime Green Bay Packers superstar has gained a reputation in recent years as one of the most annoying and hated players in the National Football League. After being traded to the New York Jets last April, Rodgers had a chance to salvage his reputation and successfully did so for a short time. But after going down with a season-ending injury, Rodgers reverted back to his old ways and ruined any chance he had at a redemption arc.
During his final three years in Green Bay, NFL fans began to view Rodgers as one of the biggest divas in the league. During three straight offseasons from 2021 to 2023, he captured the attention of sports media as rumors circulated about whether he would leave the Packers amid his frustration with the organization. This peaked in the 2023 offseason, where he openly contemplated retirement and went on a darkness retreat to make a decision about his future in football. He was also criticized for his strong stance against the COVID-19 vaccine and for lying to the public about being vaccinated, which came under further scrutiny when he contracted the virus during the 2021 season. His controversial anti-vaccination attitude and the ongoing “will he, won’t he return” narrative painted him as a limelight-hogging diva who was more obsessed with being in the spotlight than beating the 49ers in the playoffs.
Then, Rodgers was traded to the Jets this past April to become the savior of the franchise after the failed Zach Wilson experiment, and something extraordinary happened: Rodgers became likable. He embraced the bright lights of New York by going to Knicks and Rangers games at Madison Square Garden, where the crowds roared for him. One video captured him at a Taylor Swift concert at MetLife stadium having the time of his life and yelling “The Jets won the Super Bowl!” in a stream of confetti from the show. He also won over his naysayers with his appearance on HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” which showed him supporting his teammates during Jets training camp over the summer. All of this turned Rodgers back into someone that people were actually rooting for. The stage was set for Rodgers and the Jets to make a deep playoff run with hopes to win the franchise’s first Super Bowl since 1969, winning the hearts of millions of football fans in the process and changing his public image for good.
Then the unthinkable happened: Rodgers tore his achilles tendon 75 seconds into the Jets’ first drive of the season. He didn’t even complete a single pass before suffering what is normally a season-ending injury, but Rodgers decided to continue his crusade against modern medicine by getting an experimental surgery to repair the tendon with hopes of a potential playoff return four months later. This was immediately met with skepticism, as the recovery time for this injury is usually at least six months. The intrigue of a potential Rodgers return reverted to the same “will he, won’t he” speculation that became the hallmark of his past three offseasons. While many fans held out hope, the charade got old quickly, especially when it became apparent in December that Rodgers wouldn’t return as the Jets drifted further out of the playoff picture. The over-coverage by sports media of a potential Rodgers return was rivaled only by the NFL’s infatuation with promoting Taylor Swift, although at least she isn’t a ayahuasca-drinking conspiracy theorist.
Though the media’s fixation on his return wasn’t entirely his fault, Rodgers didn’t do himself any favors during the season. Blessed with an abundance of free time, Rodgers proceeded to undo the good reputation he built earlier in the year by reverting back to his usual off-the-field self. He notably launched a one-sided feud with Travis Kelce for doing advertisements for Pfizer, labeling him “Mr. Pfizer.” Rodgers went so far as to challenge Kelce and Dr. Anthony Fauci to a debate with him and fellow anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr., which sounds about as threatening as Elon Musk challenging Mark Zuckerberg to a cage match. Going after Kelce showed that Rodgers himself hadn’t changed at all despite his changed reputation, which became increasingly doubted as the season went on.
However, none of Rodgers’ actions compare to when he went on “The Pat McAfee Show” and took an unprompted shot at Jimmy Kimmel, alleging that he’s listed on Jeffrey Epstein’s client list and that he is a pedophile. Kimmel, who was rightfully outraged by Rodgers’ baseless remark, threatened legal action and unleashed one of the most scathing and brutal monologues ever aired on live television to tear into him. What makes Rodgers look even worse is that he refused to apologize to Kimmel in the wake of public backlash and instead doubled down that the media distorted his comments. The Rodgers-Kimmel debacle firmly killed off any likeability Rodgers had gained over the summer and firmly brought him back down to his former status as an arrogant jack*ss.
Going into the 2024 season, it’s unlikely that Rodgers will have as many supporters as he did coming into this season. He had a great opportunity to rewrite his legacy forever, but now has to lie in the grave of arrogance and unlikeability that he dug himself. Even if the Jets somehow win the Super Bowl next year, Rodgers will never be able to be viewed as a likable or even decent human being ever again.
Humorous and pithy. Nice job Dan