Aaron Rodgers says you’re not allowed to criticize him if you’ve been vaxxed

Aaron Rodgers just can’t help himself. The New York Jets quarterback is back at it, once again lobbing verbal grenades on The Pat McAfee Show. This time, his target is ESPN analyst Ryan Clark — and Rodgers’ response couldn’t sound more out of touch if he tried.

Aaron Rodgers vs. ESPN: The Vaccine Edition

It all started last week when Aaron Rodgers criticized ESPN for being a platform full of what he described as “unfounded or asinine takes.” Ironically, Rodgers delivered this scorching take while on ESPN, via McAfee’s show, which compensates him for his headline-grabbing rants. Apparently, Rodgers is blind to the irony of attacking media personalities while serving as one himself.

Ryan Clark, a former NFL player and current ESPN analyst, didn’t take too kindly to Rodgers’ broadside. On First Take, Clark pointed out the hypocrisy of Rodgers bashing opinion-driven content while being a prominent guest on one of the most opinion-driven shows out there. Rodgers clearly didn’t appreciate being called a “fraud,” which led to his bizarre comeback during his latest McAfee appearance.

Instead of addressing Clark’s actual critique, Aaron Rodgers pivoted to — wait for it — vaccine status. Yes, we’re somehow back to COVID vaccines. Rodgers unleashed a confusing rant demanding that Clark (and presumably others) disclose their vaccine status whenever they criticize him.

Here’s Aaron Rodgers, sounding like your middle-aged uncle who still can’t let go of 2021:

Aaron Rodgers dropped a PSA to his haters on @PatMcAfeeShow:

"Say whatever the f**k you want about me, I don't care. But just before you do … state your Vax status, so that anything you say afterwards gets put in the right light." 😳pic.twitter.com/n4cSZ4Cx16

— uSTADIUM (@uSTADIUM) December 17, 2024

“Say whatever the f*** you want about me, I don’t care… Just state your vax status so that anything you say afterwards gets put in the right light… Cause then when you say things about me, people can at least be like, ‘Oh, you are captured by the multimillion-dollar propaganda Skyhawk…’”

Who says shit like that? Like, I say it trying to be ironically funny. This dickhead is saying it because he truly believes it.

Somewhere in the middle of this unhinged PSA, Aaron Rodgers managed to sound both paranoid and petty. He even took shots at Clark’s lapel pin, mistakenly calling it a “broach.” Because, apparently, that’s relevant to his argument?

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Why Is Aaron Rodgers Still Talking About Vaccines?

Here’s the thing: It’s 2024. We are nearly five years removed from the start of the pandemic and more than three years removed from Rodgers attempting to dodge questions about his vaccine status. Yet here he is, dragging COVID vaccines back into the spotlight like it’s 2021 all over again.

At this point, Rodgers isn’t just beating a dead horse — he’s pulverizing it. The quarterback who once claimed to be “immunized” is now obsessively using vaccine status as a bizarre litmus test for criticism. He sounds less like an MVP quarterback and more like the guy in your Facebook feed sharing conspiracy memes while lamenting the “good old days.”

Rodgers’ fixation on vaccines feels desperate. And maybe it is. Back when COVID debates dominated headlines, Rodgers was still the league’s golden boy, racking up MVP trophies and leading the Packers to the playoffs. Fast forward to today: he’s the injured quarterback of a 4-10 Jets team, and the end of his Hall-of-Fame career is in sight.

Rodgers isn’t just clinging to his outdated COVID talking points. He’s also clinging to relevance. During his rant, Rodgers took a jab at Clark’s NFL career, saying:

“Most of you, nobody remembers your career… In five or ten years when people forget about my career, I’m not gonna need to find some sort of relevance to be on TV.”

If that sounds defensive, it’s because it is. Rodgers has spent years leveraging his NFL platform for media appearances, podcasts, and documentaries. He’s not exactly a stranger to chasing the spotlight. Now, as his playing days wind down, it’s hard to imagine him quietly disappearing from the public eye. If anything, Rodgers’ endless commentary suggests he’ll be fighting for relevancy long after his NFL career ends.

It’s painfully clear that Aaron Rodgers is stuck in the past. Whether it’s his vaccine takes or his MVP glory days, Rodgers sounds like the guy who peaked in high school and refuses to move on. Instead of embracing the inevitable end of his career with grace, Rodgers is clinging to tired narratives and picking petty fights on national television.

Ryan Clark, to his credit, responded calmly and offered to have a conversation with Rodgers offline. Whether that happens or not remains to be seen. But one thing’s for sure: Aaron Rodgers is increasingly making himself sound like a caricature of a washed-up athlete desperate to be heard. At this rate, the only thing people will remember about Rodgers in five years is that he gave off the biggest Boomer energy in sports.